SOME OF THE AJfIMALS FED AJN'D SLAIJOHTEEED AS HUMAN FOOD. 619 
The entire body of the fat Lamb contained less than 2 per cent, of nitrogen. The 
store Sheep contained less than 2-4 per cent, of nitrogen; the half-fat old Sheep 2^ per 
cent. ; the moderately fat Sheep not quite 2 per cent. ; and the very fat Sheep scarcely 
more than If per cent. 
The store Pig contained about 2f per cent, of nitrogen ; and the moderately fat one, 
only about If per cent. 
The striking fact of there being so small a percentage of nitrogen in the bodies of the 
animals which we feed to supply our meat-diet, is one of great interest and importance. 
On the one hand, as will be fully illustrated further on, the proportion of the nitrogen 
consumed in the fattening food, which remains stored up in the animal, and is sent to 
market as meat, is extremely small ; and on the other, as already alluded to, a consider- 
able proportion of the nitrogen which really is retained by the animals is not appro- 
priated as human food ; whilst, of that which is so appropriated, a considerable portion 
wiU exist in the form of gelatin and chondiin-yielding matters, the value of which as 
food is, to say the least, questioned. 
Before lea\ing the Tables showing the percentage of nitrogen in the different animals 
and then seveial parts, attention may be recalled to the illustrations of the latter point, 
afforded in the Imes of mecin percentages, given at the foot of Table VI. It has already 
been noticed, that the collective Offal parts of the animals contained a higher percentage 
of nitiogen than the collective Carcass parts. But it is seen, that the actual amount 
in the entire hodij, of nitrogen accumulated in the Carcass parts, is still about three-fifths 
of the whole. It was shown, that about one-fifth of this is due to the bones. It results, 
that there is left, in round numbers, only about half of the entire nitrogen of the body 
associated with the soft edible parts of the carcass. As to the proportion of the two-fifths 
of the total nitrogen in the body contained in the Offal parts, which will probably, on 
the aveiage, be consumed as human food, some observations will be made further on. 
Section VI.-SUMMAET OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE TEN ANIMALS ANALYSED 
Mineral Matter, Dry Nitroyenous Compounds, Fat, Total Dry Substance, and Water. 
^ Ha\ing considered the percentages of mineral matter, of fat, and of nitrogen, indi- 
lidually, in the different animals and their respective parts, it will be well now to take 
a summary view of theii- collective composition as deducible from the data thus provided. 
In Table VII., therefore, which now follows, are given side by side, at one view, the 
peicentages in the Carcass, in the Offal, and in the Entire Animal respectively^ of — ■ 
1st. Mineral matter (ash) : 
2nd. Total dry nitrogenous compounds (by deduction of other constituents) ; 
3rd. Total fat (by melting, expression, and extraction by ether) : 
4th. Total dry substance (sum of the mineral, nitrogenous, and fat) : 
5th. Water (the complementary quantity to the total dry) ; 
And, in the Entire Animal, the percentage of the whole due to contents of Stomachs 
and Intestines is also given. 
3 T 2 
