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We have all along contended that meat inspection should 
be made in the interests of the meat consumer, and that they 
aie the parties to be satisfied and not the cattle raiser. 
. When we ask a butcher for beef we should not be served 
with mule meat; and when we ask and pay for sound meat 
we should not receive that from an animal affected with acti¬ 
nomycosis, unless we believe such meat to be really sound. 
Persons who object to the meat of animals affected with 
actinomycosis being sold upon the general market would not 
as a rule, object to its being sold for what it really is—but the 
seller insists that it shall be sold for what it is not. So Dr 
Hickman believes these carcasses healthy, yet he refuses to 
place this meat upon the market on loot, with the evidence of 
the disease perfectly patent, but excises the principal disease- 
marks, pleases the seller and deepens the ignorance of the 
consumer of meat as to what he is eating. 
There seem to be two ways by which this meat can o- 0 
upon the market in a satisfactory manner to most consumers. 
First; To be officially labeled and sold as meat from ani¬ 
mals affected with actinomycosis. Second ; Such meat after 
destroying the evidently affected parts, to be thoroughly 
cooked under official supervision, and then sold as sound 
meat. One of these propositions should prove satisfactory to 
sellers, but there are men among them who desire to reap the 
highest market price for this beef, which they would not 
knowingly eat themselves but think it sufficiently good for 
others especially if the tumors are removed, and Hickman and 
his colleagues say it is healthful, and the consumer rendered 
wholly ignorant. 
We have great faith in the good intentions of the highlv 
esteemed Secretary of Agriculture, and believe that he in 
conjunction with Dr. Salmon, is trying to secure reliable meat 
inspection, but when Dr. Hickman comes into court and tes¬ 
tifies as he did in Peoria,- had Secretary Rusk been present 
and heard him he would have preferred in the future to buy 
his table meat from carcasses free from Hickman’s brand. 
Illinois Veterinary Medical Association _The 
worthy Secretary of this body has furnished us with a report 
