26 ANIMAL FOOD RESOURCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



We imported m 1880 into the United Kingdom the 

 following quantities of Animal food supplies ; — 



Quantity. Value £. 

 Live animals for food 



(except pigs) ... 1,330,845 head 10,060,396 



Bacon and hams ... 6,334,648 cwts 10,985,642 



Beef, salted and fresh 1,017,956 2,424,943 



Butter 2,326,305 „ 12,141,034 



Cheese 1,775,997 „ 5^091,514 



Eggs 747,408,600 No 2,235,451 



Fish, cured or salted... 1,343,434 cwts 1,666,710 



Lard 927,512 „ 1,852,160 



Meat, salted or fresh... 149,010 „ 429,073 



„ preserved ... 655,800' „ 1,905,717 



Pork, salted or fresh... 409,267 „ 684,192 



Poultry and game ... — 421,645 



£49,898,477 



The proportionate quantity we consumed per head 

 of foreign provisions of Animal origin is officially given 

 as follows : — 



1879. 1882. 



lbs. lbs. 



Bacon and hams 14-84 8'85 



Butter 6-57 6-72 



Cheese 5-74 5-20 



No. No. 



Eggs 22-44 23-04 



Cheese scarcely receives its proper place as a food 

 material with us. Some systems do not take to it kindly, 

 and such persons should not press it upon their digestive 

 economy. Much cheese, too, because it is poorly made, 

 is indigestible. These facts should be borne in mind. 

 And yet as a food possessing great strengthening power 

 and adapted to those who have hard physical labour to 

 perform, there are few substances so satisfactory as rich 

 and well cured cheese. "We may give some authorities 

 on this point. Dr. Austin Flint says : " Old cheese taken 

 in small quantity towards the close of a repast, undoubt- 

 edly facilitates digestion by stimulating the secretion of 

 the fluids, particularly the gastric juice. Here its effect 



