PURE AND IMPURE FOODS. 
Edited by C. F. LANGworTny, PuH.D. 
Author of ‘‘ On Citraconic, Itaconic and Mesaconic Acids,” ‘‘ Fish as Food,” etc. 
“ What a Man Eats He Js.”’ 
PORK AS FOOD. 
Statements are common to the effect that 
pork is not a fit food for man, various rea- 
sons being given, which in the majority of 
cases seem based more on prejudice than 
any scientific knowledge of the subject. 
Thus, it is often said that pork is indi- 
gestible. As it is comparatively rich in fat, 
it may take a little longer to digest than 
some other meats, but as far as diligent 
search shows there are no experiments on 
record which show it is less thoroughly di- 
gested than other flesh foods. Ham and 
bacon are accepted by many who do not 
believe in roast pork, yet the salt and smoke 
can do little except modify the flavor and 
keeping quality; so there is not much rea- 
son for such limitation. A careful review 
of the whole subject and of the experiments 
of different sorts which have been reported 
leads to the conclusion that pork is a val- 
uable and useful food for man, provided it 
is of satisfactory quality, though the liking 
for it, as for other foods, is a matter of 
the personal equation. 
Some statements recently made by Miss 
Emma J. Davenport, in a paper read before 
the Illinois Housekeepers’ Conference, are 
of interest: 
“There is a domestic animal which, in ~ 
view of the fact that he was represented by 
over 8% millions of his kind in Chicago 
last year, possibly does not need a cham- 
pion. This animal has developed with the 
Anglo-Saxon race, has enjoyed its pros- 
perity, and to-day is a clean, well bred, 
wholesome domestic creature. I refer to 
the modern hog. 
“There are people who claim that pork is 
not fit to eat because the hog is subject to 
some of the same diseases as man. What 
about tuberculous beef? The record, for 
too1, of the chief representative of the 
United States Bureau of Animal Industry 
for the Chicago live stock market, fur- 
nished by Mr. Horine, statistician of the 
Chicago Union Stock Yards, shows the fol- 
lowing results: 
“Of cattle there were 1,810,155 inspec- 
tions in the yard. Of these there were 
2,202 rejections, or % of one per cent. 
There were 1,748,573 post mortem inspec- 
tions, of which 5,371 or 1-3 of one per cent 
of the carcasses were condemned. Of the 
inspected cattle, therefore, .42 of one per 
cent were condemned either on foot or after 
killing. Of hogs there were 6,547,370 in- 
spections, of which there were 15,424, or % 
of one per cent rejected on foot; and, of 
7,121,509 post mortem inspections, 11,088, or 
1-6 per cent rejected. 
“Of hogs inspected, therefore, .30 of one 
per cent were condemned against .42 of one 
per cent of cattle; near 1-3 less. Not only 
this, 4% of one per cent of cattle against 4 
of one per cent hogs were condemned on 
foot; showing that disease in the hog is 
much more easily detected while alive, than 
in cattle; and this is further borne out by 
the fact that, of the post mortem examina- 
tions, but % as many carcasses of hogs 
were condemned as of cattle, or 1-6 of one 
per cent against 1-3 of one per cent. 
“Besides, the average dressed carcass of 
a hog weighs 150 pounds, and that of beef 
470 pounds, or a little over 3 times as much. 
Now if the proportion of diseased cattle is 
4 times as great as of hogs, when we buy 
one pound of inspected meat the chances 
are over 4 times greater that it will be 
healthy, if it be pork, than if it be beef; yet 
no one, except a vegetarian, would think of 
saying that we should not eat beef. 
“The tuberculin test and meat inspection 
have mitigated greatly the chances for dis- 
eased milk and meat being on the market; 
yet the only safety lies in insisting abso- 
lutely that milk shall come from herds 
which are frequently given the tuberculin 
test and where sanitary measures as to 
cleanliness and pure water are observed. 
Protection as to meat is always to cook it 
thoroughly, whatever it may be. 
“These statistics show that pork is as 
wholesome and safe as beef. 
“Comparing the composition of beef and 
pork, the following are averages of the 
whole carcass, not including the head: 
Beef: Waste, 17.6; water, 50.4; dry mat- 
ter, 32.0; protein, 14.6; fat, 16.6; ash, 0.7 
per cent; fuel value, 975 calories. Pork: 
Waste, 24.0; water, 32.0; dry matter, 53.8; 
protein, 10.8; fats, 40.5; ash, 2.4 per cent; 
fuel value, 2,045 calories a pound. 
“Pork is particularly valuable as a food 
for energy, as it furnishes more than twice 
the amount that beef'does. The adult does 
not require food for building up the body, 
except to replace the small waste; but he 
needs that which will give energy. Pork 
also contains the greater quantity of dry 
matter, and it is not deficient in protein. 
Pork is also to be recommended as a cheap 
food. It is especially cheap to the pro- 
ducer, and costs less per pound to the man 
who buys it. From quotations of the Chi- 
