266 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



cotton-seed meal that has been made from the seeds of certain varie- 

 ties of cotton plants. The pathological lesions thus obtained resem- 

 ble very closely those seen after similar feeding with such meals. 

 There wore only slight quantitative differences. No doubt the base 

 with which this acid is combined in the meal may contribute some- 

 what to this injurious action. 



From the findings of laborator}^ investigation it seems that cotton 

 seeds vary much in their toxicity. Some are practically nontoxic 

 in their character, but if durin^^ the manufacture of meal from the 

 seeds a high temperature is applied to them a poisonous principle may 

 develop. Work is in progress on the identification of the bases with 

 which pyrophosj^horic acid is combined. It is important that certain 

 features of this work be repeated under factory conditions. 



THE BIOCHEMIC DIVISION. 



The Biochemic Division, of which Dr. M. Dorset is the chief, has 

 been engaged during the year chiefly in the laboratory w^ork incident 

 to the meat inspection, in laboratory research work relating to meat 

 products, in investigations concerning hog cholera, in making tests of 

 stock dips, and in preparing and distributing tuberculin and mallein. 



LABORATORY MEAT INSPECTION. 



The laboratory meat inspection during the past year has been 

 carried out along the same general lines that were followed pre- 

 viously, though the organization of the work has been improved, 

 and the various meat-inspection laboratories have been assigned defi- 

 nite territory, which they are expected to cover, examining samples 

 of all products at reasonable intervals. 



Durmg the fiscal year a total of 19,580 samples were examined by 

 the laboratories. These samples consisted of meat food products, 

 salt, spices, condiments, colors, and substances used in the prepara- 

 tion of meats and meat products. Approximately 80 per cent of these 

 samples were from establishments at which inspection is maintained, 

 the remainder being from establishments operating under certificates 

 of exemption. 



The results of the year's work show that the use of prohibited 

 preservatives has been practically discontinued in insjoected establish- 

 ments. Certainly is this true in the case of the larger establishments. 

 Boric acid was found in only 8 samples (sausages), no other pre- 

 servative being used. 



In regard to the adulteration of meat food products from inspected 

 establishments, it has been found that a considerable percentage of 

 sausages contained cereal without this fact being stated on the label. 

 In many instances this is due to ignorance of the packer who uses a 

 proprietary seasoning mixture which frequently consists largely of 

 some cereal flour. In the case of fats and oils, the lards are prac- 

 tically the only products which were found to be adulterated, and 

 these cases of adulteration were extremely rare. In such instances 

 the adulteration sometimes consisted simply in the presence of a 

 minute amount of cotton-seed oil (less than 1 per cent), this arising 

 in many cases from the use of the same pipes and equipment for 

 preparing lard and lard substitutes, the latter normally containing 

 cotton-seed oil. 



