genous elements of the meat, i. e., all those elements which are 

 especially useful in building and restoring tissue. That great class 

 of foods known as carbohydrates is almost entirely unrepresented in 

 meat products, the small quantity of glycogen which exists in meat 

 being practically negligible in comparison with the other nutrients. 

 Preserved meat therefore presents a character of food which is almost 

 exclusively nitrogenous in its nature. 



In some kinds of preserved meat tendencies have been shown to 

 the development of a class of bodies known as ptomaines, which are 

 poisonous alkaloidal bodies, resulting from the decay and change of 

 nitrogenous materials in the flesh. These ptomaines, of course, are 

 not developed in perfectly sterilized packages, but may develop in 

 those which are imperfectly sterilized or may develop in sterilized 

 packages which are opened but not eaten for some time after expo- 

 sure to the air. It is, therefore, highly important in all such cases 

 to be assured that the packages have been thoroughly sterilized, that 

 they are in good condition when opened, and that they are consumed 

 after being opened without any great delay. 



The following is the description of the packages which were sub- 

 jected to examination : 



Samples purchased in the open market. 



No. 17512. Compressed cooked " corned beef." Prepared by the Armour Can- 

 ning Company, Chicago, 111. 



No. 17513. Compressed cooked "corned beef." Prepared by the Armour Can- 

 ning Company, Chicago, 111. 



No. 17514. Compressed cooked "corned beef." Prepared by the Armour Can- 

 ning Company, Chicago, 111. 



No. 17515. Compressed cooked "luncheon beef." Prepared by the Armour 

 Canning Company, Chicago, 111. 



No. 17523. Prime roast beef. Prepared by the Armour Canning Company, 

 Chicago, 111. 



No. 17524. Rex corned beef. Prepared by the Cudahy Canning Company, 

 Omaha, Nebr. 



No. 17525. Corned beef. Prepared by the Armour Canning Company, Chicago, 

 111. 



No. 17526. "Helmet " luncheon beef. Prepared by the Armour Packing Com- 

 pany, Kansas City, Mo. 



No. 17527. ' ' Lion " corned beef. Prepared by the Fairbank Canning Company, 

 Chicago, 111. , Nelson Morris, president. 



No. 17528. "Helmet" corned beef. Prepared by Libby, McNeill & Libby, 

 Chicago, 111. 



No. 17529. Corned beef. Prepared by Libby, McNeill & Libby, Chicago, 111. 



Samples obtained from the War Department. 



No. 17516. Canned roast beef. Prepared by Libby, McNeill & Libby, Chicago, 

 111. Sent from Atlanta, Ga. 



No. 17517. Canned roast beef. Prepared by Libby, McNeill & Libby, Chicago, 

 111. Sent from Savannah, Ga. 



