The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-08-30
Animal Food.

consume, is either vegetable, or meat
derived from vegetable feeders. The
principal meats are beef, mutton, veal,
lamb, domestic fowl and game. The
nutritiye value of each kind of meat de.
pends on age, mode of life, nature oil
feeding, mode of death and upon the
| peculiar character of each kind of flesh.
The flesh of the young is more tender
than that of the old, but it is less easily
digested, veal and lamb are harder Of
digestion than that of beef and mutton.
The flesh of the young is more gelatin
Gus, less stimulated and less nutritious
than that of the old, which contains
more ibrine and osmasome, or the flavor
ing principle. The flesh of very young
animals, as calves of ten days old is soft,
flat and insipid. Experience shows that
cattle of middle age yield the best fla
| vored beef, and more nutritious and
more easily digested than that of young
animals. Sex influences the quality of
| the hesh-that of the female is more
finely grained and delicate than that of
1 the male.
! It is matter of common observation,
/ that most animals are in better state
for the consumption of the human fam
| lily, in some seasons than in others. Or
dinarily, it is in its best condition in the
late autumnal and early winter months,
! simply because animals usually have o
large supply of fresh summer and au-
| tumnal food. Mutton and beef are al
ways good, but still are more succulent
and juicy during summer, autumn and
early winter The yenison of the male
| deer is in its best condition from June to
| September. That of the doe in that
winter. The expression sin season and
out of season" applied to animals is full
of meaning, and indicates, among other
| things, that the flesh of animals is in a
better, healthier state for human food at
some seasons than at others. The mode
of life has an influence upon the flesh of
animals. Those that lead a wild and
active life are less fat than those who are
| lazy and well fed. The flesh of the wild
has o higher color than that of the tame,
and is decidedly gamy.
The food animals consume modifies
the character of their flesh. Turnips
| yield peculiar flavor to mutton. The
| flavor OF mutton from sheep who have
lived upon the highland, is different
| from that of sheep who have obtained
their food chiefly from the lowlan3s.
| The garlic of the meadows and some fra
grant herbs modify the flavor of the
meat. Oily food tends to make the fat
soft. Hens partly fed on scraps of de-
caying meat, yield eggs that are at once
unpleasant to the taste and unhealthy.
Feeding animals for human food, is,
| then of great importance and demands
experience. It is not enough that food
makes fat--it should also impart an
agreeable flavor.
The mode of death, in its effects upon
| the flesh, is well illustrated by the fact
| that violent exercise just previous to
! death, increases its tenderness, The
| flesh Of the hunted animals is we'll
| known for its tenderness. Slaughtering
animals by bleeding then involves a
waste OF nutritiye material, but 1t rem
ders their flesh more pleasant to the eye
and more delicate to the taste. Tt rem
ders their meat winter, better favored,
and susceptible of keeping for consid-
erable length of time without tainting.
The Jews Of the present day are wise,
and will not eat the flesh of any animal
that has not been slaughtered in har.
mony with their ancient laws, and by
one of their own order of faith and prac-
tice.
Meat is more or less improved by al
lowing it to hang in cool temperatures
some days after the creature has re-
tired from life. The analyses of meat
greatly vary. The relative amount of
lean and fat depends upon the many cir
cumstances to which We have just referred
and to the amount of exercise the animal
may take to the temperature in which it
lives, and the purity of the air it may in
hale and absorb. The general character
istic of special meat should be known.
Beef has firmer texture, is more salts
flying to the stomach, and possesses
greater strengthening power than NUT
!. ton, but mutton is more easy of diges-
ton, and still few persons may be
found who cannot digest it. It induces
violent vomiting and diarrhea in some
Veal and lamb, though tender, yet resist
the digestive force of some stomachs,
and yield less strength than beef; SO
they should not be given to children
with weak stomachs.
Pork is the most difficult of all meats
to digest. Smoked meats are much less
digestible than fresh. With loan meats,
as veal, chicken, rabbit, or with food
rich in plaster material, as eggs, beans
and peas, give the proper supply of
plaster and heat making materials. Ven-
ison is lean and sayory; it is one of the
most digestible of meats.
The relative amount of bone in ami
mails varies with their condition. Twenty
per cent. of the entire animal may be
fair average. In the neck and brisket of
beef it is 10 per cent. In the shins and
legs, an eyerage may be so per cent. of
its total weight.
Birds OF various sorts are nutritious.
Some wild birds, as the pheasant feed on
the buds Of the laurel, or as the
partridge on the same become poisonous.
The flesh of birds differ from that of |
mammals, in that it is not marbled, or |
its fibres are not mixed with fat. The |
flesh of different birds varies in its color |
ing, from white to dark. The wings and |
breast are drier, winter, and more deli |
cate in taste than legs, but the latter are |
higher favored. The color varies in |
different parts of the same birds In the |
black cock the outer layer of the breast
is brown, while the inner layer is white.
The fowl, turkey and guinea-fowl
poultry have white flesh, that is
tender, delicate and easy of digestion
is more stimulating than ordinary meat,
and so is fit for the weak stomach of
every human life, and those persons who
are in state of convalescence. The flesh
of the goose and duck is richer, harder,
and difficult of digestion
for early life and dyspeptics. The fat
tening of poultry, their tenderness and
flavor depend upon the quality of the
food they eat, and the quietness of their
lives. Tame birds need pure water, nu-
sritious food and rest. Sexless birds
grow to larger size, fatten better, are
more tender, and better favored than
those that remain in normal state.
The flesh of game contains but small
amount of fat. 1t is usually tender and
,asily digested, has o delicate flavor that
8 much increased by keeping. Each
lind of bird has its peculiar favor. That
If the partridge, quail, snipe and wood
'ock are delicate. The latter two are
'ieher than the former. Game birds
empt the appetite of the invalid.
is tenderness and digestibility Ats it
or the stomach of invalids and of early
ife. Wild birds, such as the quail and
obin are particularly valuable for the
punishment of the sick The breast be-
ng the preferable parts. Pigeons and
'ther smaller birds have flesh with
enderness depending upon the creatures
ize and age. The flesh of the hare and
abbit somewhat resembles poultry and
anne. The flesh of the hare is more
q 4 Al II =