The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-15 00:00:00

Br FF ET.

Collared horse-head. Baron of horse. Boiled withers
In a word, the people dining would have gone away per-
fectly eatistied without any special warning or preparation
The dishes seemed identidal with those served at any set
dinner in Loudon or Paris. Great pains had been taken,
and a thoroughly satisfactory result attained. Everybody
dined on horse and made-dishes, just as if the principal
material had been beef or mutton. Here and there a
microscopic observation might detect a cynic who questioned
his bread and butter, or, in other worth., spoke critically of
his horsomeat, but his quest:oils invariably answered them--
selves, anti left him clesring Ms plate. For nutritious soup,
or made-dishes for filet or outlet, horseflesh is absolutely
unrecognisable from beef. The gentleman who described it
in a conteropm'ary as • something between beef anti game
laboured under a delusion. It is beef svithout lit. The fat
of horses melts in cooking, and becomes oil. Hence,
according to physiologists, the great reJommendation of this
flesh is that it is easily digested food. But the plain joint
is slightly less toothsome in consequence. The meat is
ex.:ellent, but the absence of fatty substance makes it seem
rather like the second best part of the on. It is Oath, not
rich. The soup, the yitef, airil tbe hone cutlet were above
criticism, the baron of horse-beef would have passed muster
without demur under any other circumstances than those of its
appearance on Thursday night. Est under the "fierce light"
of novelty, and with every diner anxious to show his gastro-
nomic discernment, it would have undergone comparison
and analysis even it it had been manna from Heaven.
Heralded by a bent-cater in full uniform, and annonnced
by sonorous trumpet-blasts, the migitty baron was brought
in with a solemnity worthy of any important occasion.
The beef-eating trumpeter—we will not ask whether he was
exported from the Tower—marched slowly round the room,
followed by sin men in white linen, who bore the roast baron
on a mighty dials aloft. Long before its advent the room
had been astir. Waiters aid-pered mysteriously, " Keep
your eye on Vie door, sir, and you'll see something that'il
astonish you.- Diners right and left licked expectantly to
the end of the room : and at the first blast of the trutnpet
all jumped to their feet, and hailed the new comer with en.
thiniastic and ringing cheers. 'Chia was the noon title of the
banquet. Melly proceeded to the centre table beariog the
great dish. Among them was one of the most eminent
surgeon, of the day, a man whose professional excellences
have been recognised by state horours, and all compared
private experiences as to the use to which hone might be
put. For beef tea we have the highest authority for saying
it Is more nutritious than other meats, and the eloquent
speech of the chairman only confirmed the inipressions of
every one who hail dined. After dwelling upon the difficulties
to be surmounted and the prejud ices, to be overcome in intro-
ducing a new article of food in England, Mr. Forsyth com-
pared all present to the armed men who took refuge in a
horse, as told in classic history. But the simile was unsound.
Thee present were curioue, but not hostile, and if they wore
arms, it was against the prejudices to which Mr. Forsyth
anti the dinner were sworn Ines. The interest taken in the
subject, anti the importance it is invested with on the con-
tinent, are shown in the testimonial letter from the "Societe
Protectrice des Ammons " founded in Paris in 1845—let us
add thoroughly well deserved—read during the evening.

PAR!, Jan., 1863.

Sir,--In the name of our entire committee we con-
gratidate you on the generous efforts which you are making
to introduce horseflesh into consumption in England. We
know by experience how much courage and perseverance are
requisite to struggle against public opinion in such a matter,
hut the importance of such an object as that at which you
aim and the love of humanity will give you the necessary
strength to support the struggle. You think, with much
reason, that it is absurd to lose each month, throughout
England, millions of pounds of meat admittedly wholesome
and numishing, when -at the same time throughout England
there are millions of human beings who stand in need of
meat. In France the opposition to this new food has been
very strong, and the authorities, in spite of the favourable
opinion of the Council of Health, and of La Commission
Gleerale d'Llyeede," have delayed, for more than three years,

the grant of any authority to open at Paris • shop for the
sale of horseflesh. Things have changed now. At the official
reception at the beginning of the new year, the Minister of
Agriculture congratulated our committee on the results
which it has obtained. tils excellency has been pleased to
remind us that at this moment there are twenty-three
butchers' shops at which nothing but horseflesh is sold, and
thst already they have produced for public consumption
several millions of kilogrammes of this flesh, sold at a price
much below that of beef—a result which at this moment is
a great been to the population. Our committee, sir, wishing to
encourage your efforts, have just resolved that a medal should
he offered to you you will receive it very shortly. We
pray you, on our behalf, to address our congratulations to
the hon. gentlemen who gave you their support, and who
In organizing • horseflesh banquet cause this important
question to be the subject of • fair experiment. Later public
gratitude w,il recompense them for the inanition they hove
so confidently taken. Pray accept, air, the expression of our
very sympathetic sentiment.
Le Docteur PLATte. President.
A. GEOFFREY ST. HILAIRE, Vice-President.
Bee fiqUIM. Secretary.
.E. DECIMAL, A/ablaut Secretary.

The above Is true ; and to sum up this account—horseflesh
I. palatable, nutritious, and easily obtained. No one need
succumb to the common prejudices against it. The philan-
throphic side of the question, the problem whether a new
and permanent food supply has been discovered, we can
defer dealing with. Every one on Thursday night ate well,
and was thoroughly satisfied with his repast and we may
fairly hope for some social benefits from a movement which
has been so earnestly, energetically, and seriously I usugu-
rated.