On the Composition of Animals slaughtered as Human Food. 293 



cent, of water. The bones of the carcasses contahied a less propor- 

 tion of water than the collective soft or edible portions. 



It is inferred, that the average of carcasses of well-fattened oxen 

 will contain 50 per cent., or rather more, of dry substance ; that 

 those of properly fattened sheep will contain more still — say 55 to 

 60 per cent. ; those of pigs killed for fresh pork rather more than 

 those of sheep ; whilst the sides of pigs fed and slaughtered for 

 curing will be drier still. Lamb-carcasses would seem to contain a 

 smaller proportion of dry substance tlian those of either moderately 

 fattened oxen, sheep, or pigs. Their proportion of bone was also 

 comparatively high. Veal appeared to be the moistest of all. The 

 carcass of the calf experimented upon, though the animal was con- 

 sidered to be well fattened, contained only 37^ per cent, of dry 

 substance. Its proportion of bone was also higher than in any of 

 the other animals. 



Next as to the composition of the collective offal parts (excluding 

 the contents of stomachs and intestines), the results showed that 

 in every case the per-centage of nitrogenous substance was greater, 

 and that of the fat very much less, than in the collective carcass parts. 



In oxen and sheep, the pelt, hair or wool, hoofs, stomachs, and 

 intestines, taken together, contained a large proportion of the total 

 nitrogen of the offal parts. The portions of the nitrogenous offal 

 parts of these animals generally used for food, are, the head-flesh 

 with tongue and brains, the heart, the liver, the pancreas, the 

 spleen, the diaphragm, and sometimes the lungs. In the pig, the 

 proportion of the nitrogenous offal generally eaten, is greater than 

 in the other animals ; but its proportion of fat is generally also 

 greater. 



With the higher per-centage of nitrogenous substance, and the 

 less per-centage of fat, in the collective offal parts, they had in- 

 variably a less per-centage of total dry substance, and therefore more 

 of water, than the collective carcass parts. 



From the composition of the entire bodies of the animals analysed, 

 it is estimated, that of mineral matter, the average amount, in store 

 or lean animals, will probably be, in oxen 4^ to 5 per cent., in sheep 

 3 to 3^ per cent., and in pigs 24- to 3 per cent. As an average esti- 

 mate for the mineral matter in fattened animals, the results indi- 

 cated 3^ to 4 per cent, in the live-weight of calves and oxen, 2^ to 

 2\ per cent, in that of sheep and lambs, and 1^ to 1-^ per cent, iu 

 that of pigs. 



Of total nitrogenous compounds, there were in the fasted live- 

 weight of the fat ox 14i per cent., in that of the fat sheep 12^ per 

 cent., in that of the very fat one not quite 1 1 per cent., and in that 

 of the moderately fattened pig about the same, namely, 10-87 per 

 cent. Tlie leaner animals analysed contained from 2 to 3 per cent. 

 more nitrogenous substance than the moderately fattened ones. 



The Fat formed the most prominent constituent of the dry or 

 Bolid substance of the entire animal bodies. The fat calf alone, 

 contained less total fat than total nitrogenous compounds. Of the 

 other professedly fattened animals, the entire bodies of the fat ox 



