496 
twenty-seventh annual meeting 
make it a special subject for discussion at the next meeting. I would 
like to see the members come in prepared to present their views 
and criticize the opinions of others and thus bring out the truth as 
it is always brought out by a conflict of opinion. It is only by 
discussion and a comparison of notes and by the interchange of 
ideas that we finally sift the wheat from the chaff and get down to 
the truth about a matter. Meat inspection is a matter that it will 
not be many years before it will prevail in every locality in 
the country. It is a National question and a very important 
one. As a profession and as members of the National Veter¬ 
inary Association we should have clear ideas upon the subject 
and be ready to give reasons for the belief that is within us. 
I think that some members of our profession have been rather 
hasty in arriving at conclusions. I believe the inspection should 
only condemn the animal in case the red flesh is affected and in 
case the tuberculosis is disseminated throughout the body. Some 
claim, that if the lung is affected the flesh of the animal is safe. 
Now, is that a safe conclusion for us to reach? Have all of us 
reached the point where we can say there is no possibility of dan¬ 
ger in consuming the meat of an animal which has tuberculosis in 
the lung ? If it is true that these germs circulate in the glands 
and in the udder, why don’t they circulate in the meat that is used 
for human food ? I say it is too early for us to say that the meat 
of an animal is safe for human food, because we are unable to find 
the germs of these diseases in the lean meat. If we find these 
germs in the blood why do we not find them in the red flesh ? If 
they are in some parts they must have circulated in the different 
parts of the body. How do we know how far they go and how do 
we know that they are not in all parts of the carcass, having circu¬ 
lated through it? 
As to the diseases which are contagious, there is a strong feel¬ 
ing against the use for food of animals so diseased. It is very 
hard to draw the line. Sometimes you have a case of acute-pneu¬ 
monia ; you do not know the temperature, you do not have the 
temperature raised enough so that you can say there is any rise in 
temperature. Who can say that there are not poisonous elements 
all through the body, which may be very injurious to people par¬ 
taking of the flesh. 
