694 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
cattle look perfectly well, and it is impossible to tell that they 
have been infected. The only -way out of the difficulty -would 
be to take the temperature of each animal, rejecting those that 
show an increase. 
At the close of Dr. Forbes’ paper, Dr. W. A. Heck was 
called upon, who responded as follows: 
Dr. Heck's Paper. 
^he author of this splendid paper under discussion has 
labored under a great disadvantage in its preparation. The 
large number of topics considered necessitated briefness and 
thereby some of them have suffered for want of completeness. 
The opinions here offered, however greatly they may vary 
from those of the author, are made in the most friendly spirit. 
After once having established a system of meat inspection 
the questions promptly arise, “ How is it to be conducted ? ” 
Who is to inspect it?” and “ What is to be considered fit for 
food ? ” The latter question is the one which concerns us the 
most. 
Hmaciation may be classed both as physiological and as 
pathological. The first is a normal wasting away from lack of 
.... ^ some perverted ph3^siological con¬ 
dition. 
We are all agreed that normal emaciation is not hurtful for 
food, yet the disappearance of the nutriment of the flesh ren¬ 
ders It necessary for us to make a distinction. 
In this process of emaciation the interstitial, mesenteric and 
abdominal fat is gradually^ consumed, leaving small islands 
along the spine and pelvis with a small amount always remain¬ 
ing in the muscles. The vital forces diminish; the heart 
weakens ; blood becomes impoverished and the serous elements 
percolate through the tissues and accumulate about the joints 
along the spine and in the pelvis as a yellow gelatinous accu¬ 
mulation repulsive to sight. The muscle fibres, retaining in 
themselves the strength and power of the animal, shrink from 
metamorphic changes of the sarcoiis elements. Such meat con¬ 
tains more fibrous indigestible matter than normal flesh. 
Sentiment demands that we condemn animals reduced too 
much in^ flesh. Some advocate condemning when the skele¬ 
ton is visible upon being dressed. Personally I think the age 
of the animal, the loss in weight, and the condition of the flesh 
and viscera are all factors to be considered in passing judgment. 
Of course, in emaciation from disease one has no hesitancy 
about condemning-. 
