426 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Such animals as pass the inspectors must also be inspected during 

 the operation of killing and dressing. Several inspectors are found in 

 each of the largest packing houses, and they are constantly discovering 

 cases that escaped detection on foot, xyhich show by diseased internal 

 org-ans that they should not be used for food. Hogs suffering from 

 cholera are a good example of this. In 1903 in postmortem inspection 

 United States inspectors condemned 19,256 carcasses of hogs found to 

 be suffering from cholera, while 8.598 cattle carcasses were condemned 

 as being tuberculous. Every condemned carcass in the slaughterhouse 

 is at once tagged with a special tag, showing it to be condemned. This 

 may be subjected to further scientific examination or may at once be 

 ordered to the rendering tanks. 



Microscopal examination. For some years the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry has conducted extended microscopal examination of pork in 

 many stock yards. Three pieces of flesh from different parts of the mus- 

 cle of the hog are placed in numbered labeled tin boxes, the numbers 

 corresponding with the number of the carcass inspected. Then each 

 sample is crushed flat between two glass plates and placed under the 

 microscope. In 1903 there were examined in the United States by the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry 489.667 carcasses of hogs. The results of 

 this examination may be expressed as follows: 



Carcasses. 



Class A. Free from all appearances of trichina 477,195 



Class B. Containing trichina-like bodies or disintegrating tri- 

 chinae 7,394 



Class C. Containing living trichinje 5.078 



In 1903 there were 5,136 trichinous carcasses disposed of, weighing 

 in excess of 1,000,000 pounds. Government certificates are attached to 

 all the pork for export, showing it to be healthy. 



All animals are inspected, including horses, since glanders and other 

 contagious diseases are frequently discovered. In such yards as those 

 at Chicago an inspector stands at each gate to pass on every animal 

 going through. Even if an anmal in unfit condition passes free of sus- 

 picion at first entrance, the chances are that subsequent inspections will 

 result in its discovery. In the western stock yards '"brand inspectors"' 

 are employed to inspect for ^tray branded cattle that have been lost or 

 stolen from the range. Such animals may be sold and the money turned 

 over to the owner whose brand in each instance is known. 



Docking. Docking is more or less practiced in all live stock buy- 

 ing for animals of certain kinds, and especially so in the more exacting 

 city trade. All pregnant sows and also sows that have once had pigs 

 but are not pregnant at sale are docked. Stags are also docked. For 

 example, in the Indianapolis yard pregnant sows are docked forty 

 pounds and stags eighty pounds. In a small local yard the writer has 

 had old breeding sows not pregnant docked thirty pounds. In some 

 localities old sows are docked 50 to 75 cents per hundred and stags $1. 



