THE VETERINARIAN AS A PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER. 
451 
importance to sanitarians, in addition to thorough courses in 
anatomy, physiology, medicine and surgery and the related col¬ 
lateral sciences. Men that complete such a course are equipped 
with the technical knowledge that is essential for a general health 
officer. 
The efficiency of a man is determined ‘by his accomplishments. 
The veterinarians employed by the B. A. I. inspected the car¬ 
casses of 49,179,057 animals from June 30, 1910, to July 1, 1911, 
and their inspection was sufficiently efficient that these meat foods 
were accepted as import products in practically all foreign coun¬ 
tries. During that time 113,742 entire carcasses were condemned, 
as well as 874,211 parts of carcasses. In addition, 19,000,000 
pounds of meat and meat food products were condemned as un¬ 
wholesome and unfit for human food. The significance of the 
extent of these condemnations! in the maintenance of the health 
of the consumer of meat food products cannot be overestimated. 
Many diseases and diseased conditions are of frequent occur¬ 
rence in the carcasses of animals that are slaughtered for food. 
Thus it is a well known fact that the flesh of animals that have 
been slaughtered at the time or shortly after they were affected 
with high temperature is unfit for food, because of the production 
of chemical substances that are injurious to the health and some¬ 
times disastrous to life. 
Less than one-half of the meats and meat food products 
slaughtered in the United States is subjected to government in¬ 
spection. Much of the meat is killed by the butcher in the smaller 
cities, towns and villages, and is not inspected. Some provision 
should be made for the supervision of the small town slaughter 
houses and the inspection of the animals killed therein by a com¬ 
petent health officer. 
Some second class and many first class cities have a force of 
veterinarians who devote all or a part of their time in inspecting 
slaughter houses and meat food products of the butcher shop. 
These officials frequently condemn carcasses or parts of car¬ 
casses as being unwholesome and unfit for food, and it is seldom 
that butchers and meat dealers dispose of any meat or products 
