GLOSSARY. NITKOGEN OSMA/( >.M K. GUI 



NITROGEN. The same as azote : a constituent of the atmosphere, 

 amounting to about four-fifths of the whole ; contained also in the 

 flesh-forming proximate principles of the food of organic nature. 

 See p. 297. 



NUCLEUS, NUCLEOLUS. See Cells. 



(ESOPHAGUS. The gullet. 



CEsTRUS. See Parasite. 



OMASUM. The same as manyplies. 



OMNIVOROUS. Feeding jointly on vegetable and animal food. 



OSMAZOME. This is an extract of meat, or of muscular flesh, which 

 was formerly supposed to give to it, and to the soups made with it, 

 their peculiar flavour. Osmazome has not stood its ground, but 

 has almost dropped out of the list of proximate chemical principles. 

 Nevertheless, as flavour is an all-important quality in the meats 

 derived from the animals fed for the table, it seems proper to 

 retain the name osmazome, and some of the particulars attached 

 to the name, till chemistry brings out something definite in respect 

 to the principles in organic nature on which flavour depends. It 

 seems almost self-evident that every distinct smell or flavour must 

 represent a distinct chemical body ; and if this be really the case, 

 how far behind is chemistry in this department, notwithstanding 

 the recent progress made under the head of alcohols and ethers ! 



There can be no doubt that the food on which an animal is fed 

 imparts its flavour to the flesh ; and again, that if an animal has 

 been fed with a particular kind of food just before being slaugh- 

 tered, its flesh will partake of the flavour of that last food, often in 

 a very high degree. 



Several cases, illustrative of this matter, have been communi- 

 cated to us by a proprietor farmer in Liulithgowshire. He had 

 sold a well-fattened heifer that had been fed exclusively on turnips 

 and straw. He was surprised to hear that some of those who pur- 

 chased portions of her carcass complained that the meat had the 

 flavour of turnips. He found, on inquiry, that she had been taken 

 away by the butcher and killed immediately after her morning 

 meal in short, while her stomach was still full of turnips ; and on 

 inquiry among those experienced in this matter, he found it to be 

 known that the flesh of a turnip-fed animal would have the flavour 

 of turnips if killed immediately after a meal. On another occa- 

 sion he was over-persuaded to let a butcher have an under-fed ox, 

 which, owing to the scarcity of turnips, had been fed daily on 

 10 Ib. of linseed-cake, with straw. Those who obtained portions 

 of the carcass complained that the meat had a strong taste of 

 tallow-candles ; and he has since learned from the butchers that 

 this is a common complaint against meat obtained from animals 

 largely fed with linseed-cake up to the time of slaughtering them. 



