MEATS. 477 
and repair of tissue, might tend to the development of a morbid 
structure taking the form of malignant cancerous growth.” 
But, per contra Dr. Sykes, having practised medicine for several 
years in China, tells (March, 1902): ‘‘ That because of poverty 
the consumption of meat there is limited among the people in 
general; but, nevertheless, cancer prevails of various forms, 
though chiefly as scirrhus of the breast-gland.” 
As to the alleged increase of cancer during recent vears, 
because of the large amount of animal food consumed in 
this country, especially by the working classes, the reply may 
be made that it is just among these very working classes that 
cancer has not increased. According to the medical statistics 
of the eighteenth, and early part of the nineteenth centuries 
it is found that these were times of great meat eating, and 
excesses in drinking, by the upper and middle classes, whose 
gluttony then lay particularly in the consumption of solid meat. 
Dr. Oldfield protests that flesh eating per se is not a cause 
of cancer; but that evidence goes to prove it is over-feeding 
the animals from which the meat is obtained, which makes 
such meat injurious in the direction at issue. And this comes 
about by retention of the products of decomposition remaining 
within the animal tissues, which produce in the eaters thereof 
an ‘‘ unstable cell equilibrium.’’ He found that in India cancer 
was practically non-existent in all those areas where the vegeta- 
tion was sparse, and where the animals killed for food had been 
constrained to live hardly ; whilst the disease was more prevalent 
where the vegetation was ranker, and where the animals used 
for food were more highly foddered. 
Again, with respect.to pulmonary consumption, the Jews in 
this country are known to have a remarkable freedom therefrom, 
their percentage of deaths in London from this disease being 
less than half that found among the general population. 
Probably the rigid inspection exercised over the meat supplied 
to the Jews has (together with other hygienic observances) 
much to do with this immunity. Moreover, the animal organ 
within the carcase of beasts slaughtered for their market, which 
is most diligently overhauled, and most severely tested, is the 
lung. “ Warts” in the lung create a suspicion of tuberculosis ; 
and any induration, or any presence of purulent matter in, or 
about such “ warts” (or “ grapes”), or the smallest amount 
of pleuritic adhesion, is sufficient to cause rejection of the meat. 
