18 BULLETIN 1138, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
THE EFFECT OF COOKING UPON THE ANTINEURITIC PROPERTIES OF HOG MUSCLE. 
Since but very little pork is eaten in raw condition in this country, 
it is important to know the effect of cooking upon the antineuritic 
properties of hog muscle. Two experiments were carried on, one 
with tenderloin, the other with ham. The pork tenderloins, which 
weighed about one-fourth pound each, were baked 40 minutes at 
200° C. in an oven. The meat was cooked just right for serving and 
then ground and dried in the usual manner. The cooked ham used 
in the feeding tests was the boneless, pressed ham of the kind which 
is sold sliced in retail markets. The method followed in cooking this 
type of hams is as follows: The cured hams are boned out, trimmed 
free of excess fat, and placed in metal containers in which they are 
pressed into the desired shape by means of a hydraulic press. The 
TaBLE 8.—Experimental feeding of dried cooked hog muscle and polished rice. 
= Pigeon | Survival |Change in 
Meat ration. No: period. | weight. | Result. 
PEN 31. | 
Days. | Per cent. | 
15 per cent baked tenderloin No. 722.| 1 45 +7.1 | Fine condition at end of test. 
DORs 220 coc eee an aw Cees 51 55 +15.0 | Do. 
1D) omnes Ui ae hen eRe 59 55 +13. 2 Do 
DOs aoe eee ore ee 188 | 55 +4.1 Do 
INViCTA SC See ae oe naan [te a ee Ree | 55 +9.9 
PEN 32. | 
25 per cent baked tenderloin No. 722. 15 55 +14.1 Do. 
LOCA aE ae aptereie e ea EOS 30 55 +11.0 Do 
SD) Osea Ses eee ek sea tee 56 | 55 +11.8 Do 
DO ee aoe eg ee 176 | 55 +14.5 Do 
INVICTUS Ox oe ran pate ak cle | Ora crisee a let 55 +12.9 
PEN 33. 
15 per cent cooked ham No.721....-- 2 58 35 +8.8 | Removed, account injury. 
DOR ae ace tole soa weee ceo 65 55 +1.0 Fine condition at close of test. 
ID) ORE Re eas Si Lee 193 55 +4.5 Do. 
aD) OB eae ee eee anes aes te 839 55 —1.0 Do. 
SNA YC « ey MSS eS BS A Noes ey AIR Pe 55 | +1.5 
PEN 34. 
25 per cent cooked ham No. 721.... 207 55 | +10.5 Do. 
DOs422 se cect eaten 2.193 55 | +6.1 | Do. 
ST) Oe ese Re ae er 287 55 | +.3 Do 
SAV OTA SO ae staat Mee ee | pa eral sre By) +5.6 | 
1 This pigeon substituted for an injured bird on thirteenth day. 
2 Data for this bird excluded from average. 
hams, still in the containers, are then deposited in a cabinet-shaped 
steam cooker, where they are cooked for from 7 to 84 hours by means 
of steam at a temperature of approximately 150° F., never higher 
than 160° F. At the end of the period the hams are chilled in a 
spray of cold water. 
The results of feeding the cooked muscle are shown in Table 8, 
and the change in weight of the birds in Figures 19 and 20. 
Pens 31 and 32 were fed rations containing 15 and 25 per cent of 
cooked tenderloin. At the end of the test not a bird in either pen 
had developed polyneuritis and all had gained in weight and were in 
better condition than at the start. These results are equally as 
