The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-02-15

Statistics show that the total number or
hogs pack ed in Cincinnati this season mounts
to 43S,051 head. That is in excess Of any
previous year. At Terra Haute, Ind, the
packing this season 10 estimated at 45, 900
hogs. Much of this pork is sent North as
hams and shoulders, and consumed 10 our
large cities, while the ssprime western hams,
pen citrate into the towns and villages. OF
oil animal food there ia none 90 foul and un-
clean as pork, nor any that so quickly gen.
crates disease and ill health. If some OF orr
readers, who are 60 sspassionately fondv OF
ham, knew what they were eating, their
stomaohs would revolt at the dose.
The Western hogs are generally fattened
on the prairies during the summer and fall
months, and sent to market in the winter
drove OF say two hundred hogs are driven
from twenty TO seventy miles before they
reach the slaughtering pens, and during the
route probably twenty or thirty per cent. of
them will die from disease or fatigue. Their
throats are then cut, and they are pitched
into a wagon and carried to the butcher, who
cuts them up into "prime shoulders" and
ssprime hams,o and sends them in \ cured
state 10 market. Can pork under such cir
oumstances DO wholesome? But indepen-
dent OF this fact, in communities where pork
is the staple food-where it 10 eaten for
breakfast, dinner and supper-we have no.
ticed pale checks, dim, sunken eyes, and .
general tendency TO scrofulas complaints.-
Such 10 particularly the case in many South
ern and Western communities where pork is
the main material used FOR building up the
human form divine. 0at on 1t.
The fatty part Of Western hams very often
seoretes n deadly poison, and it lie mystery
| - LAu-
only satisfactory solution Of the matter at
which we can arrive-and we once took some
trouble to investigate the subjects that the
poison is the virus of the rattlesnake, and
we will explain how it gets into the ham,
months are literally alive with reptiles; the
hogs feed on the prairies and are remarkably
fond of snakes, eating the harmless garter
and prairie snake with as keen relish AZ .
Chinaman devours bis fricassied rat. When
MIR. Porker, however, comes to the deadly
rattle, he proceeds with more caution, for
the latter furnishes him with as nice repass
as the garter. though not 30 easily obtained.
lie makes two or three circles around his
snakeship, irritstes him, and finally gets him
into the coil, when lao backs up his rear and
receives the poisoned pangs into the fatty
part of his launches. After the blow is giv.
en-, MIR. Porker turns on his foe and Finishes
him. OF course the virus does not 20 into
the circulation, but remains concealed il the
fat until come two LEGGED biped gets the ben.
eft OF the poison. Now and then the blow
Of the snake hits in o less impregnable part
and before the hog has finished his meal, ht
ssaggers and swells, and finally goes dowr
and dies from the effects OF the poison. Bu
it is very rare that when hog dies thus, hi
meat 10 cut up and sent TO market.
We have above thrown out few facts re-
speeding pork eating, hoping some OF on
readers may be induced TO Investigate thi
branch Of dietelics. Lancaster lPa.) Elk
press.