ON POUCHED HEART. 
51 
“ The accumulation of adipose matters evinces more or less 
of diseased action in some of the organs concerned in the general 
function of nutrition. Hence the notorious fact, that almost 
every animal which is fatted and killed for human food is 
actually in a state of disease when butchered.” 
The accepted economy of fat on the exterior of the carcass is 
that of a soft cushion for the easy gliding of the muscles below it 
while they are in action, and moreover to assist in the preser¬ 
vation of animal heat. But the fatty degeneration before-named 
in many points resembles the changes which take place in normal 
structure when transformed into cancerous deposits, so that it 
may be seen how closely their degeneration is allied to malig¬ 
nant disease. 
To preserve health, waste and supply must be kept in their 
natural order. Any deviation in the proper quantity and quality 
of food destroys this equilibrium, and, of course, is injurious to 
health. 
Of all the organic muscles, the heart is the most irritable; and 
being so, whatever interferes with its irritability must necessa¬ 
rily produce in it disordered action or functional derangement; 
that is, the regular succession or uniformity of the heart's move¬ 
ments is altered, and of course the proper supply of blood from 
this, the centre of circulation, to all parts of the animal machine, 
deviates from a healthy one : the heart has lost its wonted regu¬ 
larity and impetus. This irregularity in the circulation of the 
blood is the fountain and origin of disease in the system at 
large, as well as in the heart itself. 
“ Post vehementum vero, aut insolitum, aut abnormem motum, 
inviti etiam motus musculi quodamodo debiliores evadunt.” 
There cannot be a doubt of the influence that habits of diet 
have in altering the quality of the circulating fluids—that 
certain kinds of diet produce changes in the blood, and in the 
secretions derived from it. 
When the blood (from which all secretions are derived) is 
unhealthy, all else must go wrong. This fluid, once rendered 
impure, is the approximation to hereditary disease. Place the 
animal under the same circumstances which gave rise to the 
disease in the generation that preceded it, you will have the 
same disease augmented and confirmed. How many instances 
may be adduced from the vegetable kingdom to prove the like 
peculiarity of constitution to produce hybrid races! 
“ The otter breed of sheep,” says Dr. Pritchard, “ sprung 
from an accidental variety or deformity in one animal, which 
communicated its peculiarity to its progeny, so that the breed 
is established. Indeed, the various kinds of cattle are produced 
by these accidental circumstances, and are so perpetuated, even 
of a most extraordinary sort.” “ The greatest variety yet ob¬ 
tained in animals is produced by domestication” (Cuvier). 
