No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 81 



These complaints averred that such sales were made knowingly and 

 wilfully by butchers and others who were unwilling to bear a finan- 

 cial loss because of the discovery after the animals were killed, that 

 they were tuberculous. In the aforesaid cases, unfortunately, the 

 complaints were ineffectual because all of the meat had already 

 been disposed of, and it was no longer possible to secure proper 

 legal evidence to secure a conviction in a jury trial. The subject 

 is one that strictly and properly comes under the jurisdiction of the 

 State Live Stock Sanitary Board, but the Dairy and Food officials 

 are always willing to co-operate whenever the interests of the public 

 can be best conserved. 



A published statement refers to the fact that in Europe, one-third 

 of the animals killed for human food suffer from tuberculosis, which 

 is communicable to man, and the fact that there are 37 per cent, 

 less deaths from consumption among Jews than Christians is pre- 

 sumed to be entirely due to the precautions taken by Jews in their 

 more rigid and thorough system of meat inspection. 



If this repulsive tuberculous meat is injurious to health, it should 

 not be sold for human use at any time or under any circumstances. 

 It is not necessary to prove that actual injury to health has already 

 been done, but it is sufficient to know that it is capable or likely 

 to cause such injury to the unsuspecting consumer. 



It is worthy of special note that the percentage of diseased cattle 

 and swine in the United States is far less than that of Europe, and 

 that the general conditions are regarded as vastly better. 



CEREAL BREAKFAST FOODS. 



The remarkable increase in the sale of the numerous brands of 

 so-called cereal breakfast foods, has caused many inquiries from 

 correspondents as to their actual value as a food, digestive quali- 

 ties, etc. These almost numberless varieties of food are sold at 

 greatly varying prices, and when the fortunes that are expended 

 in advertising such products are taken into consideration, it is plain 

 that the consumer is paying a proportionately high rate for the 

 food value which he receives in return for his money. 



These cereal foods arc said to be easily divided into three distinct 

 kinds, to wit: First. Those which are usually prepared by simply 

 grinding or crushing the decorticated grain. Second. Those which 

 include the products of grains which have been steamed, partially 

 cooked, etc., and then ground or rolled. Third. Those brands from 

 which a considerable part of the starch has been removed, or under- 

 gone a chemical change by the action of barley malt. These malted 

 preparations are especially popular, because of the fact that a por- 

 tion of the starch has been converted into a more soluble form. 



The observations made indicate that labels are not always en- 

 tirely truthful; that some manufacturers make extravagant claims 

 as to nutritive forces and digestibility, and that the cost in some 

 instances is rather excessive. All of these several questions must 

 be answered in the same general way; individual peculiarities will 

 prevail, and after satisfying the sense of taste, you will readily 

 select the food that for a given sum will supply the largest amount 

 of digestible nutrients in a palatable form. 



6—6—1905 



