Evening star., 1898-11-03
ExPLODES OLD THEORIES
Results Of Professor Wiley's Experiments
With Fresh Meats.
Respecting Use of Flesh for Food
Should Not BE Eaten Before
1t Is Ripe.

1t Is Ripe.
Prof. II. w. Wiley, chief of the chemistry
division of the Agricultural Department.
states Interestingly the results of recent
experiments made by him which knock out
popular beliefs and age-old ideas concern
ing matters within his range of obserya-
ton. Two assertions he made to Star re-
porter today will illustrate. Said DR.. Wiley:
Meats should never be eaten till they
have properly ripened; that is to say. until
they are about to decay. They should be
three weeks old. at least, before being cook
ed. chicken killed today ought to hang
three weeks in cool place before going on
the table.
Lean hogs are better than fat hogs, and
farmers before long will find more profit
IN raising the former than the latter The
fattening of pig in old days. and even
now. was all that farmer did with the
animal to fit 1t for market, but soon it will
be known that lean meat is better than fat
meat for meat eaters"
Here Is a violent upsetting of ancient
ideas. Fresh meat is the cry of the
housewife. and nowadays she wants Il
straight from the slaughter house It's
wrong, however. A hen squawks in the
barnyard in the morning and in the after
noon she's in the pot along with big white
dumplings stewing for the evening meal.
Another error
Dr. Wiley knows he Is right because he
Is conducting an investigation into the
whole question of the dietetic values of
meat from all fowls end animals from the
chicken to the horse that contribute to the
nte or mankind. 1t has already covered one
year of time, and he has only COMPLETED
his researches into the life and value of
pig. Years to come will be taken up by the
fnxx
other food furnishers.
Experiments With Pigs.
Nine lusty and lean pigs have so far been
martyrized for humanity's sake They were
bred at the agricultural experiment station
near Chicago. Some were fed in order to
keep them lean but healthy, and others
were fattened up so as to rival their neigh
hors on nearby farms. who were getting in
shape for the Christmas-tide killing. III
dian corn, having so much starch which is
a heat-producer, and therefore a fattener
Is the chief food of pigs to be grown to
mammoth proportions But to make pigs
lean and yet lusty, a diet of milk and oil
cake. or swill made of some cereal that is
not full of starch, is given.
These porkers went into r. Chicago pork
packing place, and following the usual
process, emerged in a few minutes killed,
cleaned and quartered ready for the in
VeStigator. This part of the operation cid
not differ from that which falls to the lot
of hog to be eaten by Tom, Dick or
Harry. and not to furnish illustrations for
humanity. The total weight of the hog
having been ascertained. then. in turn the
weight of blood. brains. tongue. iowIs. in
teStineS. hair. skin, feet and every par. OF
the animal vas recorded in order 10 de-
termine the exact proportion OF each. Then
the chemical analysis of the parts was be-
gun IN this city at the departments labor
atory. The fat hogs were found to have an
excess of heat-producing elements. such rs
carbon. hydrogen and oxygen. The lean
pigs possessed more of the heterogeneous
compounds whose especial value is that
they are tissue nourisherS.
Systematic and Complete.
This investigation said DIR. Wiley, ''is
the first systematic and complete effort
ever made in this direction. 1t has been
pursued by what is practically new meth
cd, because We have worked with full
knowledge of the history and growth of
the animals. Thus we have been able to
obtain better idea as to the nutritive val
ues and chemical constituents. The tests
have been conducted under conditions en-
bracfng all modern progress in the science
Of analytical chemistry, and the result gives
more accurately than any other the COM
position and value of the different parts of
the animal. An example is that We have
found nitrogen of several kinds. each with
different properties. while hitherto but one
course the three great chemical divisions
remain the same. but in this inquiry We
take into consideration the breeding, feed
ing and eating, as well. because the two
former relate to the latter. They should
not be dissssociated.
Men could not and should not live upon
meat alone. for the reason that it is want
ing in carbohydrates--that is. sugars and
starches. These are transformed by the
body into fatteners- Fat meat does not
give this, although people have always
eaten fat with the idea that it is fatten-
er. Cereals contain the carbohydrates su-
gar and starch and these are fat-givers.
What We Should Eat.
"A hardworking. muscular man, who
needs heat and energy, should eat plenty OF
fat meat. bit man of Sedentary habits
should partake sparingly of it and should
consume more lean. The egg is a wonder
fully perfect food, containing all the Chem
ical elements needed to sustain the body
except the carbohydrates. A meal Of soft
boiled eggs and rice is most evenly bal
anced. The egg contains the needed fat,
phosphorus and nitrogen. and the rice pos
sesses starch and sugar. AS a fact. how
ever. man feeds himself largely according
to his taste and ability. His mental atti-
tude toward his food has everything TO do
not like it. the probability is that 1t will
not do him any good, no matter how we'll
balanced 1t may be.
Meat should be kept three weeks before
eaten. 1t should be properly ripened and
then there would be no danger from dis
eased meat Hang a killed chicken out of
a window, as the Germans do, head down.
and when the head falls off the fowl is
ripe for eating. 1t should not be touched
before. The same rule is true of game
Fish and eggs should be eaten the day they
are taken. but fish, If frozen on the day
caught, will be good any time taken from