Evening star., 1894-02-26
DRAWN VS.. UNDRAwN,
he Latter Glass of Fowls Keep Bet
ter md Longer.

DRAWN VS.. UNDRAWN.
The Latter Glass Of Fowls Keep Bet
ter and Longer.
Health Officer Hammett has sent to the
Commissioners his report on the question
of the shipment of poultry. drawn or un-
drawn. The question was agitated early
in the season. At that time the poultry
dealers held a meeting and discussed the
question. They favored the shipment of
undrawn poultry, while Health officer
Hammett maintained that the fowls should
be drawn. but since the examina ton made
by Prof. Hird he has changed his opinion,
and now he believes that the fowls shipped
should not be drawn. He does advocate
the removal of the crops from the fowls,
and suggests that no fowls be fed for
twenty-four hours before killing. In this
position he is fully sustained by the poultry
men, who give such advice to all shippers
In his letter transmitting the result OF
the investigation made by Prof. Hird DR..
Hammett says:
IT have the honor to forward herewith
the report of Chemist Hird of this depart
ment relative to the subject Of drawn and
undrawn poultry and beg to invite atten-
ton thereto. This test was made at time
when. l freely confess. strong prejudice
against the sale of undrawn poultry existed
in my mind.
Judging from this exhaustive experiment
am of the opinion that it would be iinpos-
sible for the meat to become tainted as the
result Of the non-remOval of the entrails
until after a considerable period, or until
such time as the poultry shall have be-
gun to show signs of decomposition. The
fact therefore is this: Undrawn poultry will
keep much longer than the drawn. / am
informed that much of the poultry is ship
ped to Washington from a considerable dis
tance Were the dealers compelled to sell
only drawn poultry there would be greater
dauger to the community from the sale Of
unwholesome meat than now exists through
the sale of urdrawn poultry.
"It also becomes possible to tell, from an
examination of the internal organs. whether
or not the poultry has been afflicted with
disease. which Is a strong point in favor OF
undrawn poultry.
ton positively prohibiting the sale Of poul-
try that has not been kept from food at
least twenty-four hours before killing. All
UT drawn poultry without empty crops
should be condemned as unfit for food"
Prof. Hird's Report.
The report of Professor Hird, made to the
health officer, is as follows:
II submit herewith a report of my
investigation of the question Of drawn VS..
undrawn' poultry.
"The two turkeys which were made the
February 5, II a. m
"Original live weight of each turkey,
twelve and one-half pounds.
weight of dressed turkey. nine and one
quarter pounds.
weight of undressed turkey, twelve and
cne-quarter pounds.
"It will thus be seen that the dressed tur-
key lost three pounds by that operation.
Both turkeys were in excellent condition
when they reached the health office. and
were very fine specimens of their kind.
They were hung up on the morning Of
the 9TH in q room where the temperature
yUn a 10 q
mained until the 10th, a period Of about
ten days.
February IL the first change was MOTTO
ed. there being a faint odor perceptible
from the drawn turkey, while the undrawn
showed no evidence of any change.
February Ii. drawn turkey. marked stale
odor, juice beginning to drip. Undrawn
turkey, no apparent change.
February H. drawn turkey, odor consid-
erably increased. Undrawn. no apparent
change.
February 15-The flesh was removed
from the breasts of both turkeys and kept
entirely separate. The meat of the drawn
turkey gave forth strong, disagreeable
odor. while that from the undrawn seemed
to be perfectly sweet and fresh, no appar-
ent decomposition having taken place. The
juices of the meat were then tested with
litmuS paper after which the meat was
digested for twenty-four hours with cold
water. 1t was then filtered from the So
luton and the extract examined.
''The result clearly showed that decompo-
sition had commenced in the meat taken
from the drawn turkey, while that from the
undravn showed no such evidence.
February 16-Both turkeys were now
laid open.
1.-The drawn turkey was found to be in a
bad state of decomposition, while the Tn
drawn turkey was found to be in excellent
condition, not the slightest decomposition
being observable.
THE intestines were normal in appear
ance az were also the liver and heart,
showing evidently that the bird had pre-
viously enjoyed good health.
1T may be well to state here that the
only disease of poultry that there is reason
TO believe may prejudice the flesh is
fowl cholera. In such cases the meat is
redder than usual, the liver probably softer
and the heart speckled with red spots often
inside and out. while the intestines will be
infiaIned with red spots or hyid patches.
'"The fat of the turkeys was also exam
ined, which, in the case of the drawn
turkey. was soft and watery, while in the
undrawn it was found to be firm and hard.
LAS a matter of fact. after having been
kept ten days, the undrawn turkey was still
tit for food, while the drawn turkey had for
several days previous to this been filling
the rooms with It's foul odor.
1T should be noticed in connection with
this however. that the undrawn turkey
had been penned up without food for twen-
ty-rour hours previous to being killed so
that it was entirely empty so far as any
food or focal matter was concerned. In
addition to this the internal organs were in
nf