PRESERVING FOOD 69 



drying in the sun) t according to the requirements of 

 the climate. The preservation of meat by salting, dry- 

 ing, and smoking is practiced in Oriental countries by 

 a number of the Mongolian tribes, including the Tar- 

 tars and the Chinese. 



"It is a matter of common information that these 

 methods are still employed largely in civilized coun- 

 tries and not alone by those in rural districts who 

 preserve their own meat. Our large packing houses 

 smoke immense quantities of meat with hickory wood. 

 One establishment in Chicago has 43 smokehouses, 

 each of which holds 60,000 pounds of ham or shoulder 

 or 120,000 pounds of side meat, besides n houses of 

 half that capacity. Meat so preserved is recognized 

 as wholesome. It is not always suitable for the sick 

 room, but its taste is' a sure indication of its character 

 and the method of its preparation. This makes it im- 

 possible to mistake these products for fresh meat, and 

 thus removes the great temptation to fraudulent prac- 

 tice that attends the use of tasteless preservatives. The 

 preservation of meat by freezing has always been 

 practiced, and in localities where the temperature fa- 

 vors this method nothing else is to be desired. Until 

 recently, however, this method has necessarily been of 

 limited application. * * * 



"No tasteless food preservative has been suggested 

 which is entirely nontoxic, and which does not have a 

 marked influence on digestion, even when taken in 

 relatively small doses. Some there may be whose anti- 



