The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-04-19
TEST OF HORSE MEAT.
Government Officials Say 1t Tastes
Like Lobster and Is Very
Nutritious.

mushrooms. chops la Maud S., prime
roast of mustang and Kentucky thor
oughbred sausages vary the monot-
ony of a modern hotel bill of fare?
asks the Chicago Inter Ocean. In
this day of horseless transportation,
is our affection for old Dobbin to be
electrocuted and he deprived of his
prerogative of furnishing other mo-
tive power than that of humble use as
fuel to the human engine?
Experiments are being made by the
bureau of chemistry of the agricul-
tural department at Washington
which indicate such a possible state
of affairs. These experiments, nause-
ating to the man who would as soon
partake of fricaseed humanity as to
eat of the flesh of his four-footed
friend. but interesting to the scientist,
are being performed by half a dozen
government chemists, under the di-
rection of Prof. w. II. Wiley, head
chemist of the department.
The edible and culinary fitness of
the horse has been chemically and mi
u OS1Obl IllONChs pClChlilC ltSil-
mony has robbed the Kimberley diet
of horsefesh of half its terrors. The
federal government has found horse
flesh good to eat. 1t tastes like lob
ster, so the experts say, while it con-
tains one per cent. more sugar than
either beef or pork, and is fully as nu-
tritious.
Uncle Sam makes no objection to
the sale of horse meat so long as it is
labeled. 1t is to prevent masque-
raded disposal of it for culinary pur-
poses that government meat inspect
ors have been officially familiarized
with the horse in the various guises
of his ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
A horse was purchased-a dead one.
That the carcass had become one from
natural causes was immaterial to the
government chemists. They were to
make an appraisement of the edible
merits and dement's of its butchered
phases. That was the first lesson.
This carcass was handled exactly as q
skilled butcher cuts up a newly
slaughtered beef. 1t was carved into
tenderloin, sirloin and rump steaks,
shoulder and flank pieces. In these
shapes, deceit as to its origin is i'm
possible. The merest tyro in anatomy
of a city hospital or the housewives
dissecting board on her kitchen table,
could not be deceived into the pur-
chase of horse meat for beef. The
cuts show a marked difference in the
shape of the bones. the character of
the fat and the grain of the meat in
toto. -
In the second lesson the govern
ment meat inspectors were taught to
determine the difference in flavor be-
tween tenderloin of horse and it's
counterpart of beef. Combinations
were also made. Ninety per cent. OF
horse meat was mixed with ten per
cent. of beef or pork, so per cent. of
the former with 20 per cent. of the
latter, and so on. Up to so per cent.
the presence of horse meat is easily
determined, either by taste or micro
scopic observations. When the proper
ton of equine flesh reaches as low as
five per cent. its detection is prac-
tically impossible, but as such adul-
teration is commercially profitless,
the American consumer may eat his
Hamburg steak in peaceful security.
The French law requires that horse
flesh be labeled as such. but there Is
a constant violation of this law. The
story is told of a restaurant keeper
who was arrested on a charge of sell
ing horse meat without telling his
customers what it was. When brought
into court he insisted that he did
make known the nature of the goods
by marking each package NJ. H.-me-
lange hippique.
There are several large abattoirs in
the United States where horses are
slaughtered for food. but it is af-
firmed in all these establishments that
the entire product goes to European
countries. The agricultural depart
ment has an inspector at each of these
places. who sees that no horses suffer-
ing from any disease are killed. Only
sound and healthy animals are slaugh-
tered. and when the meat is packed
for shipment each box and barrel is
labeled "horsefesh." so that the pur-
chasers will know exactly what they
are buying.
$50 far as we know" says DR..
Wiley, mo sale of horseflesh for home
consumption is carried on in this
country. and we are not making these
experiments for the purpose of en-
couraging its consumption. There has
always bGen more OF less suspicion as
to the origin of certain prepared
meats which American dealers import
from abroad every year. and it is to
make our inspectors thoroughly ia
miiiar with the appearance and taste
of the slaughtered equine that these
experiments are being undertaken.
81 do not imagine" concluded the
chemist. that horse meat will ever
be added to the list of edbles on the
American bill of fare. Sentiment and
long-established prejudice will pre-
vent it. The prejudice probably had
its origin in Bible times. when the
Jewish law forbade tho eating of the
flesh of any animal not possessed Of
the cloven hoof. There is no other rea-