SMOKED MEATS AND CORNED BEEF 165 



flesh, and so preventing their reproduction. Consequently, the germs, especially 

 those of a pathogenic nature, cannot be completely killed by these processes. 

 C. J. DE FREYTAG (I.) has proved that the influence of concentrated solutions 

 of common salt is resisted by tubercle bacilli for three months ; by typhus 

 bacilli for six months ; and by the bacilli of swine erysipelas for two months, the 

 organisms remaining alive and virulent during these periods. F. PEUCH (I.) 

 examined the effect of salting on the flesh of animals succumbing to anthrax, 

 and found that a ham from such an animal, after lying in salt water for fourteen 

 days, still contained virulent anthrax bacilli, as was proved by direct experiment 

 on animals with the expressed juices of the meat. PETRI (II.) showed that 

 virulent " rothlauf " (erysipelas) bacilli were still present in the pickled flesh 

 from swine affected with swine erysipelas, after six months' immersion in brine. 



If the inspection of meat is carried out with even only a moderate amount of 

 care, it will not be easy for animals suffering from anthrax to be slaughtered for 

 food ; so that there is not much danger to be dreaded from that source. The 

 case is, however, different as far as animals affected with tuberculosis or swine 

 erysipelas are concerned. 



In a former paragraph the prevalence of tubercular affections among cattle 

 was mentioned, and this should be sufficient to deter the reader from indulging in 

 uncooked beef, whether in the form of "beefsteak a la tartare" or uncooked 

 pickled beef. It is well known that the flesh of swine that have been com- 

 pulsorily slaughtered on account of swine erysipelas is offered for sale ; hence it 

 naturally follows that many kinds of (" wurst ") sausages that are made from raw 

 flesh, and eaten in an uncooked state, will contain pathogenic germs. 



131. Smoked Meats and Corned Beef. 



Smoking forms a more reliable means of preserving meat from putrefaction, the 

 real active agents in the process being the vapours of phenol, creosote, and allied 

 compounds present in the smoke. Beechwood being found to yield the smoke 

 containing the largest quantities of these substances, is therefore held in 

 particular esteem for this purpose. The volatile distillation products of heated 

 wood chips are condensed on the pieces of flesh, and arrest the development of the 

 bacteria. Since, however as A. SERAFINI and G. UNGARO (I.) have shown 

 these antiseptics do not penetrate far into the flesh, and are therefore unable to 

 exert much action in the interior of the pieces, smoking can only be effectual 

 when it is a question of preserving fresh meat (from healthy animals) which is 

 only superficially infested with germs. The manner in which the process is 

 carried out in practice very often leaves much to be desired ; and thus it is as 

 shown by the exhaustive researches of H. BEU (I.) and A. SERAFINI (I.) that 

 the germ-content of commercial smoked meat varies considerably. The salting 

 which precedes smoking, though of such little efficacy in itself, is nevertheless 

 useful, and forms an essential part of the process, by withdrawing water from the 

 meat, and thus facilitating the penetration of the smoke. The certain 'destruction 

 of pathogenic germs is not effected by smoking, Petri having found that the flesh 

 of swine affected with swine erysipelas contained erysipelas bacilli in a state of 

 undiminished vigour, after immersion for a month in brine, followed by careful 

 smoking for fourteen days. A similar unfavourable result was obtained by 

 J. FORSTER (III.) in the case of smoked meat from tuberculous animals. 



The best method at present available for the preservation of meat consists in 

 steaming the same in vessels which remain hermetically closed up to the time 

 the meat is eaten. Such a food is known as preserved meat (in the restricted 

 sense), or as tinned meat, the quality in most demand being corned beef (chiefly 

 obtained from Chicago). This should consist of the flesh of oxen, but, neverthe- 



