HORSE MEAT. 1437 



included in this bulletin, and with this in view a number of samples 

 were obtained and subjected to the usual examination. 



Nos. 18961 to 18967, inclusive, were obtained from a horse which 

 was killed by a runaway in the District of Columbia. Samples were 

 taken within a short time after the death of the horse, which died 

 without bleeding. 



Samples 19016 to 19024, inclusive, were taken from horses which 

 were slaughtered for food. These samples were taken, through the 

 courtesy of Dr. D. E. Salmon, by Dr. Julius Huelson, an inspector of 

 the Bureau of Animal Industiy, from horses which he had inspected 

 both before and after their slaughter, and found to be in a healthy 

 condition. The carcasses were allowed to cool about six hours, when 

 the samples were taken and expressed to Washington. The analyses 

 were begun the following morning. 



The results of their examination are given in Tables 15 and 33. 

 Mixtures of horse meat with beef and pork were also prepared, and 

 their analyses are given in Tables 16 and 34. The only characteristic 

 feature in the composition of the muscular fiber of horse meat is its 

 high percentage of glycogen. It has been suggested a that meat which 

 contains as much as 1 per cent of glycogen calculated to the dry, fat- 

 free material be pronounced horseflesh. It has been found, how- 

 ever, that it is not a safe criterion for two reasons: In the first place, 

 certain sausages often contain an appreciable amount of liver, which 

 contains a relatively high per cent of glycogen; second, because of 

 the fact that glycogen begins to decompose immediately after the 

 death of the animal, and it may readily happen that meat which orig- 

 inally contained a large amount of glycogen is entirely free from it 

 after being kept a number of days. The percentage of glycogen, 

 therefore, when applied to the detection of horse meat, is only valua- 

 ble as a confirmatory test. 



It will be observed that the glycogen found in the flesh of the horse 

 killed by accident is much lower than that found in any of the three 

 horses slaughtered, and much below the normal amount for horse meat. 

 At the same time it is interesting to note that the percentage of gly- 

 cogen in Tables 15 and 16 are uniformly higher than was found in 

 the beef preparations. The results obtained from analysis of fats 

 separated from the above samples afford a much better means of dis- 

 tinguishing the variety of meat employed. 



It will be observed (see Tables 33 and 34) that these fats have a 

 lower melting point, a higher iodin number, and a higher Maumene* 

 value than was found with beef fat. Indeed, these differences are so 

 marked as to afford a ready means of distinction. Even in the mix- 

 tures with other meats the factors mentioned are widely different from 



a Niebel., Ztschr. der Fleisch. und Milchhyg., 185, 210. 



