The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-20
Wool Taste in Mutton.


In your journal Of June 29d l find
from the american Public Health AS
sociation," the following words:
In dressing mutton the woolly coat
should not be allowed to touch the flesh,
There is quite a perceptible difference in
the favor OF mutton taken from a lat
tened wether which has been for some
time deprived Of all excess in his woolly
coat, and OF that taken from sheep
which has heavy fleece.
It is such ill-Considered language and
observations as this which bring
"Science" into conflict with common
sense, and consequent disrepute with
the masses. ...
l have been fed on mutton for a life
time, butchered at home, and for hall
century have given through the press
the true causes OF the wool taste" in
mutton, but in vain. Elnor holds its
way nil the same. One cause Of this
want OF wide knowledge Of truth in
agricultural journals is tho poor practice
Of not copying the best thought from
other journals for fear Of advertising q
rival. Ono OF the best agricultural jour
nails in these States is now the Southern
Planter, OF Richmond, Va, whose arti-
cles are often eclectic, and therefore Civ
ing the best thought OF the whole Re-
public.
OF all methods of improving the soil
and destroying weeds, sheep are the
best OF all domestic meats mutton is
the most wholesome, being specific for
many diseases. It is the most conve-
nient to the farmer as butchering meat.
In the history OF mankind il has played
the most important part in his neCessi-
ties, giving wool, hides, milk and but
ter. II all OF the industries OF these
Stntes were put to the test Of survival or
destruction, the sheep would remain as
the first factor in civilization.
The "wool taste" then comes not OF
the touch OF the wool or the length Of
the wool on the sheep, but OF the infu-
sion OF the cxcretions Of the intestines
into the circulation, which taints the
flesh with the offensive "wool taste. "
The lining strata Of the intestineS pre-.
vent the offensive entrance OF the ex-
treta into the capillary tubes OF the alb
sorbing surfaces. But as soon as the
vitab powers cease this capacity for re.
sistance ceases and the unpurided ex-
cretions are infused into the venous cir
culation.
In consequence OF these facts, it is best
to starve the sheep for twenty-four hours
before killing, giving water, however,
plentifully. This cmpties the stomach
and bowels OF the sheep and diminishes
the tendency OF infusion. The sheep,
all things being ready, should have the
throat cut all round to the bone, thus
bleeding it freely. As soon us the sen.
sibility Of the victim is lost, it should be
skinned partly on the hind quarters to
save time, then hung up and skinning
rapidly completed and the whole entFails
at once taken out. The flesh is then
perfectly sweet, and the "wool taste" is
perceptible. As the wool grows from
the surface OF the skin and is pushed for
ward as the outer bark OF the tree, no
circulation returns from the ends Of the
wool, and how then can its length affect
the mutton? But us the wool has been
and continues on the sheep before and
afer birth, what absurdity is to cut the
wool off short time before killing? II
the sheep is butchered rightly you may
safely wrap the carcass in the wool and
lay it by till used.
Among all the hunters OF my circle in
early life we here accustomed to take out
the intestincs Of the squirrels and hares
as soon as shot, before cooling. Birds
killed and dressed ut once are very differ
ent from the game Of the shops of the
cities, where they reach a "high flavor"
the flavor which delights the dog from
his balf.decayed buried meat. Degusti-
bus non disputandem est. So the Pontic
monarchs fed on poison and lived, Save
us from the Doctors, the Demagogues
and the doVsI