July 24, 1916 Digestibility of Hard Palates of Cattle 643 



did not prove satisfactory, having, when thoroughly cooked and 

 well browned, a flavor suggesting that of scorched or burned gristle or 

 bone. On the other hand, meat loaf made according to a common house- 

 hold recipe and containing in addition to the hard palates some flour, 

 butter, and onions, and sweet herb, salt, and pepper as seasoning was 

 found to be satisfactory for the purpose. The flour served to bind the 

 material together so that the loaf would retain its shape and could be 

 sliced without crumbling, while the butter improved both the texture 

 and the flavor. 



EXPERIMENTAL RATION 



Experience has shown that the normal individual eats more heartily 

 of a food material if it forms a part of a mixed ration than if it is the 

 only food served for several successive meals. Accordingly, with the 

 meat loaf made from hard palates, a uniform basal ration simple in 

 character (crackers and butter, boiled potatoes, and tea or coffee with 

 sugar but no milk or cream) was served. A basal ration which obviously 

 contained only a minimum amount of protein was selected, in order that 

 the hard palates might supply the greater part of the protein of the 

 experimental diet. In making a quantity of the meat loaf sufficient for 

 a three-day digestion experiment for four subjects the following quan- 

 tities were used: Boiled hard palates finely minced, 13^ pounds; flour, 

 1 pound; butter, y 2 pound; onions, 3 of medium size; and seasoning (sage, 

 salt, and pepper to taste). 



METHODS OF DIGESTION EXPERIMENTS 



Four subjects who had gained experience in this type of work in the 

 study of the digestibility of other foods assisted in this investigation. 

 They were young men of medium weight and of good health, mod- 

 erately active, and sufficiently informed through previous experience to 

 appreciate the importance of observing accuracy in following all direc- 

 tions given them. 



As is evident from a consideration of their composition and the amounts 

 eaten, hard palates supplied only a small part of the total fat of the 

 experimental ration and a very little ash. Furthermore, since little, if 

 any, carbohydrate was present in the hard palates, it follows that inter- 

 est centers on the digestibility of protein, since this is the only food 

 constituent which they provide in quantity. 



Experience has shown that it is desirable to supply a food constituent 

 in generous proportions in order that the calculated coefficients of digesti- 

 bility may not be masked by unavoidable errors incidental to the methods 

 followed. To make sure that the amount of protein eaten was generous, 

 a fairly large allowance of the meat loaf made from hard palates was 

 served at each meal and the subjects were urged to eat all of it. At the 

 same time, as already noted above, only a limited amount of protein 

 was obtainable from other sources. 

 42720°— 16 2 



