96 



determined is all reported as from proteid substances. In some cases, 

 however, the protcids are subdivided into al))umin, gelatinoids, and 

 insoluble proteid. If space allowed it would be interesting in this 

 connection to describe the pioneer work of Berzelius, Liebig, Mole- 

 schott^ Schlossberger, and Bibra on the chemistry of flesh. It is hoped 

 that time and opportunity may in the future be afforded for a thorough 

 resume of their researches. 



COMPOSITION OF UNCOOKED MEATS. 



-The limited amount of work on such lines is shown by the fact that 

 Konig," who devotes 70 pages to the chemical analyses of various 

 kinds of fresh meats in his extended compilation of data on the com- 

 position of food, refers to only three investigations in which an attempt 

 has been made to distinguish between proteid and nonproteid nitrogen. 



One of these investigations made b}" W. Henneberg, E. Kern, and 

 H. Wattenberg'' reports the analyses of 7 different cuts of mutton 

 from each of two animals in which the combined extractives, the solu- 

 ble proteids, the nonproteid organic extractives, and the ash are given. 

 The method used bj^ these investigators and others cited will be briefly 

 referred to in connection with the discussion of the cold-water extracts 

 of meat (p. 122). At present it sufiices to say that Henneberg, Kern, 

 and Wattenberg found that on the average fresh, fat-free mutton 

 flesh had the following composition: Water 79.22 per cent, insoluble 

 proteids 15.79 per cent, and total soluble matter 5 per cent, including 

 albumin 1.61 per cent, nonproteid organic extractives 2.18 per cent, 

 and ash 1.21 per cent. Almen c reported analyses of 13 different sorts 

 of fish, albumin, organic nonproteid extractives, and proteids soluble 

 in hot water (gelatinoids) being determined. It will be of interest to 

 state that Almen obtained as an average of the above anal^'ses of fish 

 the following results: Water 64.24 per cent, albumin 2.09 per cent, 

 extractives 2.56 per cent, gelatinoids 2.55 per cent, insoluble proteids 

 12.10 per cent, total nitrogenous matter 19.31 per cent, fat 9.44 per 

 cent, and ash 7. 34 per cent. 



A study of the extractives of flesh was made by W. O. Atwater '^ and 

 associates in the course of an extended investigation of the chemical 

 composition and economic values of fish and invertebrates used for 

 food. In the case of 30 specimens of fish, the albumin, the organic 

 nonproteid extractives, the proteids soluble in hot water (gelatinoids), 

 and the insoluble proteids were determined. As an average of the 

 analyses of 24 samples of the edible portion of the flesh of fresh fish 



« Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- iind Gemissuiittel. 4 od., I, p. 185. 

 i'Jour. Landw., 26 (1878), p. 549. 

 <^ Analyse des Fleisches einiger Fische. Upsala, 1877. 



dAmer. Chem. Jour., 9 (1887), p. 421. Ber. Deut. Chem. Gesell., 16 (1883), 

 p. 1839. 



