The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-12 00:00:00

" Short-horned ox, above three years old, the best in
any of the classes ;' Mr. Edward Wortley exhibitor and
breeder. The heart weighed 71b. 13oz. The left ventricle
bad in this animal also undergone conversion into fat,
but more so in certain portions of its substance. One
spot near the apex of the ventricle was particularly
yellow, soft, and greasy. Here the musouler fibres had
given way, and a blunt probe could be readily intro-
duced through the substance of the ventricle, almost
into its cavity. Fortunately, the thin lining membrane
(endoccerdiune) had not been ruptured, or the animal
would have died instantly. This would have happened
at any moment, on the slightest exertion. Nevertheless,
so highly did Mr. Smith, of Hampstead, value his prize,
that he charged half a guinea for this monstrous patho-
logical specimen
" EXTRA STOCK.—The best beast, a Devon ox ; his
Royal Highness the Prince Consort exhibitor. In this
specimen the heart weighed 711'. 15oz. ; ps tioni of its
substance were healthy. The muscular fibres of the
left ventricle were here and there partially converted
into fat. The intestines, within about a foot of the ter-
minltion of the large bowel was a patty-like mass, one
inch and a half thick, and about one foot long, and which
partially surrounded the intestine. Such, then, are the
chief results of my examinations, limited as they un-
avoidably have been to certain viscera only. Under the
present system of rearing and feeding, one disease is of
most frequent occurrence—namely, conversion of the
heart into fat. lam supported in this opinion by the
invaluable testi cony of Professor Quekett, of the Royal
College of Surgeons, who re-examined the hearts in
question, and confirmed my observations. I need
scarcely advocate the special importance of this result, for
no one can dispute the fatal tendency of a disease by
which the structure of an organ most essential to life
has been degenerated into fat. The stomach may,
indeed, prepare food for the production of blood, and the
lungs and kidneys may purify it of excrementitious
matter, but these departments of the blood-factory are
only subsidiary to the heart, whose special duty it is to
propel the vital fluid to the most dietant recesses of the
body that every part may he nourished and renovated.
Yet I found the great central organ more than any other
damaged. In the sheep, particularly, the heart had
lost its contractile and propelling power, and was
converted into a flabby, inert lump of fat. This
substitution had, moreover, ensued not through the
mere accumulation of fat around the heart, whereby its
contractile movements would be mechanically impeded.
Such an accumulation had, indeed, taken place in the
bullocks end in the Devon heifer of the Prince Consort's
more especially. Nor did the substitution of fat referred
to imply the mere interstitial deposition of that substance
between the muscular fibres of which the heart should
chiefly consist, but their actual conversion into fat.
This material may itself be regarded as a superfluous'
food with which the animal had boon gorged. It was
first deposited'in all loose parts of the body, these being
most adapted for its accumulation—beneath the ski'',
and around the kidney, stomach, intestines, and heart.
At length, such localities being o►erloaded, the fat
invaded the muscles themselves, by passing in between
the fibres. Thus it produced the streaked appearance
of meat, a condition which, within due limits, in no
way interferes with the health of the animal, nor
impairs the nutritive quality of its flesh for food.
On the contrary, fat itself is a necessary constituent
of the moat nutritious food ; and by no provision can a
due proportion of this ingredient be secured so effectu-
ally as when it is thus intermixed with the substance of
the muscles themselves. Thus each mluthful of meat
contains a wholesome and agreeable proportion of fat,
bat beyond these limits an animal cannot be fattened
without impairing its own health and also its nutritive
value as human food. The two questions, of rearing
cattle, and their dietetic value, must, therefore, alike be
referred to their condition as discovered after death.

"Here it is that my pathological observations open
up a twofold inquiry of great interest and importance.
" Let an animal be fed beyond the limits compatible
with health, and the superfluous fat is no longer confined
to the interstices of muscular fibres, but actually invades
and eventually supersedes them. The fibres then contain
fat instead of the fibrillce (known to anat )mists), in
which reside the contractile power of muscle, and its
nutritive value of human food. We therefore say that
such meat no longer retains its healthy structure and
nutritive quality, but has actually degenerated into fat,
although still presenting the semblance of ordinary
muscle, and thereby deceiving both buyer and seller.
" We should therefore expect in vain to replenish our
own muscles by the use of such food, nor should animals
thus overfed be regarded as prize specimens of rearing
and feeding. The heart, being converted into fat, no
longer retains its contrectile power, but beats feebly and
irregularly. The blood, therefore, now moves onward
in a slow and feeble current. Hence the panting breath-
losanese due to stagnation of blood in the lungs, while
the skin and extremities are cold. Hence the stupid,
heavy-headed expression of a congested brain, and the
blood-stained appearance of meat after deatb. The
slightest exertion of an animal under such circumstances
might suddenly prove fatal. Were a man, in this con
dition, to present himeeelf at an insurance office, it
would refuse to insure his life at any premium. Yet, un-
der similar cireums: epees, a sheep is a warded gold and sil-
ver medals, and its feeder a prize of 201. We should not,
therefore, rest satisfied with heaping fat on an animal,
nor be content if he dies well,' with fat symmetrically
distributed over the back and loins, and around his in.
ternal organs. I would observe well, during life, the
excretions, and see if their condition gave proof of over-
feeding, by the presence of undigested food in the foace4,
er by heavy urine, loaded with solid constituents. It so
I should consider that the stomach and kidneys were
overworked. Nor would I neglect the lees perceptible
evidence afforded by the skin, the re- piratiou, with the
state of the brain as indicated by the general expression
of the animal, and the mode of carrying its head. Tnen,
after death, I would pursue my inquiry further, and see
whether my opinion of the animal formed during life was
corroborated or reversed by the appearance of its inter-
nal organs, tee condition of the heart, lungs, stomach,
intestines, liver, and kidneys more especially. All this
kind of knowledge is required by physicians and sur-
geons in their estimate of health and disease, and it ie
equally necessary to settle the question at issue. In-
stead, therefore, of pursuing the present system of rearing
cattle, much 9.3 it may teat the qualities of food, and
other matters of minor importance, let breeders, feeders,
exhibitors, and prize judges alike visit the slaughter-
houses ; let them do this with a due knowledge of
diseased appearances, and let them thus discover that
syeitera of rearing which is compatible with the health of
cattle, an 1 which produces the largest amount of the
most nutritious food for man. Under the present system
the public have no guarantee, and are not insured the
be-t, if indeed the cheapest, food. The bulky withers of
a fat bullock are no criterion of health, for his flat tubular
back may conceal the revolting ravages of disease. All
this can alone be disclosed by an inspection of the animal's
interior after death. The flesh of animals which has been
produced by organs themselves diseased is itself also
necessarily deteriorated, and ought not to be regarded as
prime samples of human food. These facts will be best
anderetood by pathologists, but they also come home to
the understandings, and certainly to the stomachs of
the people."

THE ANNESLEY POACHING CASE—On Saturday John
Draper was brought before Lord Belper and the county
bench of magistrates, at the Shire-hall, Nottingham,
charged with the wilful murder of George Winfield, at
Annesley-wood (the particulars of which have already
appeared). John Gelsthorpe, James Gelsthorpe, Wm.
Atkinson, Francis Hardy, Wm. Thomlinson, James
Beardall, and Joseph Burton, Draper's accomplices,
were, with the latter, committed to take their trial on
the capital charge.
[ADVERTISEMENT.]—A most interesting recovery from a vast
eemplication of diseases, such as indigestion (dyspepsia),
flatulency, constipation, nervous, bilious, and liver cub.
plaints, cough, asthma, consumption, and debility,
without the aid of medicine, by Du Barry's neva-
lenta Arabica Food, is recorded in the following let-
ter :—Cure 52,422.—" Bridgehouse, Frimley, 3d April,
1854. I have suffered these 33 years continually
from diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver derangement,
deafness, singing in the ears, constipation, debility, shortness
of breath, and cough, and during that period taken so much
Medicine that I can safely say I have laid out upwards of a
thousand pounds at the chemists and doctors. Indeed I was
in utter despair, and never expected to get over it, when 1
was fortunate enough to become acquainted with your Reva-
lenta Arabica, which, lleaven be praised, restored me to
a state of health which I long since despaired of attaining.
My lungs, liver, stomach, head, and ears are all right, my hear.
/mg perfect, and my recovery is a marvel to all my acquaint-
ances.--,- I am; respectfully, JAMES ROBERTS, wood-merchant."
Supported by testimonials from the celebrated Professore of
Chemistry, Dr. Andrew Use; Dr. Shorland ; Dr. Harvey ;
Dr. Gatnpbell ; Dr. Gattiker ; Dr. Wurzer ; Dr. Ingram ;
Lord Stuart de Decies; the Dowager Countess of Cast 3-
stuart ; Major-Gen. Thomas King, and many other respectable
persons, whose health has been restored by it, after all Ann
means of cure had failed. Suitably packed with full in-
structions. In canisters, llb. 2s. 9d. ; 21b, 4s. 6d. ; Mb,
Is ; 121 b, 225. The 121 b canisters are sent carriage fi ee,
on receipt of Post-Office order.—Barry Du Barry; di Co.
77, .Regent-street, London. IMPORTANT Csurios against the
fearful dangers of spurious imitations :—The Vice-Chanel-
for , Sir William Page Wood, granted an Injunction on the
10th March, 1854, against Alfred Hooper Nevill, for imitating
«Du Barret; Revalonta Arabiga Food.