30 
EXTRACTS FROM GERMAN PERIODICALS. 
tical observers, however, assert that the latter is already visi¬ 
ble with the seventh day of age. 
For the more accurate judgment of the youth and fitness 
of the animal, the condition of the umbilical cord furnishes 
the most reliable factor; on the third or fourth day this dries, 
and commonly falls from the abdomen between the eighth 
and twelfth days. 
An umbilicus concealed by a scab is healed in four weeks : 
diseased conditions of the cord modify the course of perfect 
cicatrization. 
The morphological character of the hoof is of like signifi¬ 
cance ; the cushion upon the sole of the extremities, with which 
the animal enters the world, has left no vestige at the seventh 
or eighth day. 
The development of other portions of the organism, mus¬ 
cular and fatty tissue, follows naturally the course of feeding 
pursued, and depends thereon for its rapidity. Under normal 
circumstances these tissues will have so far proceeded in 
their advancement that by the tenth day the subject may be 
designated as fit for consumption. 
In animals of tender age the myology is pale, moist and 
adhesive, not to say clammy ; the adipose tissue possesses an 
oily glance similar to that of the embryo ; this sort of veal is 
capable of rapidly developing the bacterium terms of decav¬ 
ing. This attribute of the flesh disappears with every day of 
age and abundant nourishment until the eighth day. 
Now the proper interspersion of fatty material has ren¬ 
dered the rmiscle fibers distinct from each other, and gives 
the whole a more compact consistency. This perfected is 
capable of becoming more pronounced, but Schmidt-Muhl- 
heim maintains that the quality ceases to improve after the 
fourth week, and further adds, that from this time on the 
surplus sebaceous material accumulates beneath he skin, upon 
the kidneys and in the mesentery. 
In this district minimum live weight was primarily eighty, 
then seventy, then sixty pounds. The retrogression of the 
lawful weight is due to the fact that in other neighboring 
districts the prescribed weight was but fifty pounds, which 
