CHANGES IN FRESH BEEF DURING COLD STORAGE. 49 
cent, so that 80.9 per cent of the total increase in inorganic phos- 
phorus has taken place in the first 7 days and 19.1 per cent in the 
remaining 93 days. These facts indicate very clearly that the rate 
of the enzymatic change of organic phosphorus to inorganic forms 
decreases as the reaction progresses. It is, therefore, not surprising 
that the cleavage of the organic phosphorus took place rather slowly 
in this experiment where the phosphorus distribution in the mate- 
rial used approximated to that obtaining in meat which has already 
undergone a certain amount of autolysis. The exact cause of the 
retarded rate of change, however, remains to be determined. 
Soluble organic phosphorus shows large relative decreases that 
vary from 36.89 per cent in the case of the round to 54.10 per cent 
in the case of the loin. However, the actual decreases are only 
slightly greater than those observed in the carcass stored for two 
weeks in Experiment No. 1. The apparent explanation for the 
slower rate of change of organic phosphorus into inorganic forms 
has already been discussed under inorganic phosphorus. 
EXPERIMENT NO. 3. 
HISTORY OF CARCASS. 
A " grade " shorthorn steer 4J years old and of fair conformation 
and finish, was slaughtered in the usual manner and the carcass was 
allowed to hang for 50 minutes on the killing floor, after which it was 
run into the cooler. The warm carcass weighed 755 pounds. The 
carcass was held for 22 hours in the fore cooler at a temperature 
between 30° and 36° F., and for 48 hours in the main cooler at a 
temperature varying from 30° to 32° F. The humidity of the fore 
cooler was 95 per cent and that of the main cooler 98 per cent of 
saturation. After storage for 70 hours in the packing-house coolers 
the two hind quarters of the carcass were carefully wrapped and 
transported to the bureau's cold-storage rooms, the trip requiring 
less than one hour. 
STORAGE. 
The quarters of beef were unwrapped and weighed, and one was 
immediately prepared for analysis while the other was hung up in 
cold-storage room No. 1 for a period of 42 days. 
The temperature of the cold-storage room was fairly uniform 
throughout this experiment, ranging from 32° to 36° F. The hu- 
midity varied from 69 to 74 per cent of saturation. 
Observations as to the condition of the beef were made at intervals 
during the storage period, with the following results: 
After 24 days in storage the beef was in good condition. There 
was a slight growth of mold on the outside and inside of the flank. 
The exposed cut muscular surfaces on the inside of the round and 
on the tip of the loin had become dark-brown in color and firm in 
56861°— Bull. 433—17 4 
