FOOD 57-, 



It should be free from purulent or gelatinous fluids in the septa 

 between muscular bands. 



It should be fresh and pleasant to the smell, after the insertion of 

 a skewer or cutting it with a knife. 



The reaction should be slightly acid. Alkalinity denotes decom- 

 position. It should be free from " spots " which are cysticerci. 



The fat should be free from hemorrhages, firm, white, seldom 

 yellow, and never gelatinous. 



Goat flesh has less fat than mutton and is somewhat darker. 



Carcases of sheep should have the feet attached to distinguish them 

 from goat meat. 



Good preserved meat in tins should have the ends of the tins 

 slightly concave. All tins that show signs of bulging should be con- 

 demned as the tin has not been rendered sterile, the retained micro- 

 organisms producing the gas which distends the tin. 



Tins sounding hollow^ when struck with a w^ooden mallet should be 

 examined more critically. 



Frozen meat should be refused when the pleurae have been stripped 

 from the carcases. 



Prolonged refrigeration for several weeks is fatal to cysticerci. 



Partially decomposed meat is neutral or alkaline in reaction, easily 

 tears, pits on pressure, and usuallv has an offensive odour. 



THE EXAMINATION OF LIVING ANIMALS. 



Healthv live animals should appear well nourished, able to walk 

 with ease, bright eyed, breathing quietly and without offensive odour, 

 mouth and nostrils cold, moist and without discharge, coat smooth 

 and free from eruption, not rough, no shivering, diarrhoea, &c. 



All organs should be healthy when killed. 



When the animal is slaughtered one should examine the chest wall, 

 pleurjfi, diaphragm and lymphatic glands. One should look for 

 dropsical fluids in the connective tissue in the flanks, under the 

 shoulders and armpits, beneath the diaphragm, above and behind the 

 kidneys. 



Examine for glistening spots or bladder-like bodies, and confirm 

 with a microscope in doubtful cases. 



When the carcase is ill-bred, bile-stained, with patches of extra- 

 vasations, the viscera congested and dark-coloured, suspect infectious 

 disease as Anthrax and Piroplasmosis. 



Exclude the following diseases by the microscope when possible : — 



Anthrax by absence of the anthrax bacillus in the blood. 



Piroplasmosis by absence of Piroplasma bigeminum in the blood. 



Pasteurellosis by absence of small encapsulated diplococcus in the 

 gland juice, &c. 



