U. S. VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
49 T 
There are a great many facts to be taken into consideration on 
this question of meat inspection and I hope before the next meet- 
* ing our observations will be made very thorough. We have just 
entered on the threshold of our knowledge of contagious diseases 
and it is too early to come to any positive opinions, especially 
when those opinions run rather counter to the opinions which have 
heretofore prevailed. 
Dr. Meyer, Sr.: In regard to actinomykosis I have been 
reading the slaughter house reports from Berlin and it appears 
that there the diseased part is thrown away and the other portion 
allowed to be consumed. And even in tuberculosis 1 believe the 
rule has. a limit of the same description. Another theory is that 
where only a portion is affected, it is diseased through and through. 
So I guess we ought to make a distinction between that which is 
to be consumed and that which is not to be allowed. 
Dr. Hawkins: I will state what has been done in the city of 
Detroit. When the Health Officer discovers a case of actinomy¬ 
kosis, he orders the destruction of that animal and of course that 
ends it right there. 
How with regard to inspection of meat. In our city, to give 
you an idea of what our inspection is, our present meat inspector 
is a cigar peddler. He knows as much about healthy . and 
unhealthy meat as a hog does about book-keeping. In Michigan 
two years ago there was introduced into the Legislature a bill pro¬ 
viding for a live stock inspector for the inspection of hogs and 
cattle brought into the different stock yards. The only way 
we have now to prevent the sale of diseased meat on our mar¬ 
ket is through the local inspector, who is appointed by the 
Board of Aldermen. If he is a good Democrat he stands a 
pretty good chance of getting in. That is the way our in¬ 
spectors are appointed. 
Dr. Baker: I do not know that there is much Democracy in 
contagious diseases in Illinois; but as regards the disposition of 
cases of actinomykosis here as stated by Dr. Williams, we have 
been able to deal with it. In Illinois the officials have acted un¬ 
der the advice of their veterinarians and we look upon actinomy¬ 
kosis as a disease which renders the animal unfit for food. In a 
