8 BULLETIN 310, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
tends to lower the average. However, since there were apparently 
no abnormal conditions, these results have been included in obtaining 
the average. The digestibility of the fat content of the total diet, 
93.7 per cent, should closely approximate the digestibility of lard, 
since over 97 per cent of the total fat consumed was lard. 
The "digestibility" of fat is often a matter of popular discussion, 
and not infrequently the statement is made that "lard is indigestible." 
The term "indigestible" in the accurate sense implies that a large 
part of the food in question leaves the body unassimilated, though 
sometimes the expression is loosely used to explain a digestive dis- 
turbance resulting from eating the food. In these tests the fat was 
very thoroughly assimilated as compared with the other fats included 
in the investigation, so it was not indigestible in the sense that it 
failed to digest. No distress was experienced by the subjects, nor 
were any unusual circumstances observed, so in these experiments at 
least, the lard was not "indigestible" in the popular sense. , 
It is frequently noted that those who think they can not eat lard 
have no such feeling in regard to bacon, which is one of the very 
popular fat foods. Before the whole question can be settled, it is 
desirable to make tests with lard, bacon, and other fats, in which 
the fat is incorporated with the other ingredients of the diet of which 
it forms a part and subjected to a higher temperature (as in frying 
and baking) than was used to make the blanc mange in these 
experiments. 
BEEF FAT. 
Beef suet is used as a fat for sauteing and deep frying and in 
making suet puddings and dumplings, which are fairly common in 
the United States, though less so than in Great Britain, and for 
other culinary purposes. Rendered beef fat is not used as a table 
fat in this country to any great extent, though in Europe families 
of small means often eat so-called "drippings" on their bread in 
the place of butter. 
Beef suet has a rather pronounced and characteristic flavor as 
well as a comparatively high melting point; to these properties may 
be attributed the fact that it is not a common table fat in the United 
States. Experience and experiments show that it is possible to 
remove much of the characteristic taste. One household method 
which is fairly successful is to mix milk with the suet when it is 
rendered, using half a cup of milk to a pound of suet. On straining 
and cooling practically all the milk solids are occluded and serve to 
change or mask the characteristic beef-fat flavor. 
As was the case with lard, few reports of experiments on the diges- 
tibilitv of beef fat have been found. 
