SOME OF THE AHIMALS FED AND SLAUGHTEEED AS HUMAN FOOD. 569 
they will probably respectively contain, of ?^o?^-^iesh-forming to ^^flesh-forming ” consti- 
tuents. And, for the purposes of the merely general view here contemplated, we shall, 
in accordance with the usual practice in such discussions of late years, assume the “ non- 
flesh-forming ” or more specially respiratory and fat-forming capacity of the foods, to be 
represented, approximately, by the collective or total non-nitrogenous constituents, and 
the flesh forming ” capacity to be indicated, conditionally, by the collective or total 
nitrogenous constituents of the respective foods. Indeed — neither is our existing know- 
ledge of the adaptation to the various exigencies of the animal economy of the ditferent 
compounds which oui- foods supply, so far advanced — nor are our special facts in regard 
to the composition of the animal aliments we .have analysed, of such a character as to 
render it desu’able to attempt, at present, any more exact mode of classification. With 
regard to the varying capacity for the purposes of the system of the different non-wiiio- 
genous constituents, we shall, however, make some numerical estimates further on. 
But, so far as the several nitrogenous constituents are concerned, we are not in a posi- 
tion to reduce to the form of numerical illustration any distinctions that might be drawn 
between them. In fact, as already stated, we are not even prepared to give an estimate 
of how much of the nitrogen of the animal substances we have analysed was due to 
gelatin and chondrin -yielding matters, and how much to the so-called protein-com- 
pounds ; yet, on the assumption that the former substances are not to be reckoned as 
^flesh-forming," our estimates of the amounts of such material in the animal substances 
in question, would be in excess by at least the quantity of gelatin and chondrin-yielding 
matters which the total or collective nitrogenous substance may contain. 
It is proposed, then, on the present occasion, to confine attention to the contrast be- 
tween the composition of the estimated consumable portions of the animals analysed, and 
that of Bread, in regard alone to the relation in each, of the non-flesh-forming to the 
assumed ^flesh-forming" constituents— and in regard to this point, so far only, as this 
can be taken to be illustrated by the relation of the non-nitrogenous to the collective 
nitrogenous constituents, in the respective foods. 
It is sufficiently obvious, that the composition of the entire bodies of our slaughtered 
animals cannot be taken as representing that of the consumable portions only. The 
composition of the collective Carcass parts, and of the collective Offal parts, respectively, 
of the animals analysed, was therefore also determined. As already alluded to, however, 
a considerable amount of the nitrogen of the Carcass will be found in its bones, and 
probably little of this will be consumed as food. On the other hand, a considerable 
proportion of the internal organs rich in nitrogen, will be so consumed. It has been 
estimated too, that of the Fat of the slaughtered animals, the amount contained in the 
Carcasses cannot always be taken as representing the proportion of the whole Eat of 
the body which will be consumed. It will be well, therefore, to state briefly here, the 
basis and mode of computation adopted, and the general result arrived at, in forming 
an estimate of the probable proportions of the total Nitrogenous compounds, and of the 
