62 



Agricultural Gazette of N.S. W. [Jan. 2, 1908. 



almost idoutical when an allowance is made [or the vahuitions in volume. 

 The following are the percentages obtained: — 



Since the ratio of nitrogen to total solids is the same in chilled and frozen 

 shins as that in the fresh one, no hydrolysis or puticfactive change has occurred 

 in the preserved samples. Even a slight decomposition would have disturbed 

 the nitrogen ratio. 



That the gelatine and albuminoids in the frozen and chilled meats had not 

 been degraded by refrigeration w^as shown by the consistency of the jellies, 

 as already mentioned. 



Phosphotungstic acid, which throws down in addition to the albuminoids 

 a considerable jjroportion of the meat ba.ses, gave an equal precipitate with 

 B and C, and a slightly higher one with A. 



Comparative Digestibility. 



By artificial digestion experiments, using pepsin as the hydrolytic agent, 

 it is possible to ascertain whether the different processes employed for ])ve- 

 serving the samples modify the digestibility of the meat. The beef steaks 

 already described were taken for these trials; they were first carefully weighed 

 and trimmed from loose fat and connective tissue. After trimming in this 

 way the available lean portions for digestion were as follows: — 



Weighed as received 



Weight of fat and skin removed... 



Available percentage 



Steak F. 

 Eiifjlish. 



■2 lb. 4 oz. 

 10 oz. 



72-2% 



The remarks as to the excessive amount of fat in the English shin apply, 

 therefore, also to the steak, so that — notwithstanding the higher amount 

 of water in the hard frozen sample, owing to the small percentage of fat, as 

 shown in the preceding table — the quantity of available lean meat per lb. 

 in the English and frozen Argentine beef is the same. 



The fats separated were all nearly white. 



The method adopted in the digestion experiments was to digest 20 grammes 

 of the finely-minced meat with 20 cc. of '5 solution of B.P. pepsin, 50 cc. 

 distilled water, and 1 cc. ^ HCl, at a temperature of 38° C, for one hour. 

 The undigested residue was filtered off, carefully w\ashed, dried, and treated 



