The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-26

that meat is harmful or unnecessary is idiotic and cruel.
 The nutritive values of the fat and lean respectively are much the same for all animals consumed as food Thus. pound of lean beef is about as nutritive as pound of lean mutton. Beef is of closer texture and fuller of red blood juices than mutton ,and is popularly held to pos sess higher strengthening qualities. Sound good horse meat is in all respects as valuable a food for dogs as is beef and it is now being fed to the dogs be- ing used by the Red Cross departments of the different waring nations of Europe. The horses killed in battle are cooked up for the dogs.
 The fact that many dogs eat putrid meat without apparent injury is evi- dence that the effect of habit confers considerable immunity, but not that pu- trid meat is a desirable food. Indeed, It is questionable if the resistant powers of many dogs accustomed to careful feed ing are sufficient to allow of their com suming decomposed meat without risk of diarrhoea, if nothing more being set up. The system of carnivorous animal nat urally craves fresh food in some form: and dogs will eat decomposing meat rather than go without flesh altogether; but. if given sufficiently liberal rations of fresh meat, they refuse anything bad
  are to some extent neutralized by thor ough cooking: but no amount of prepara- tion makes unsound meat as good food as it is when fresh.
 Meat is frequently infested with en- cysted para sites, sometimes visible as small yellow<sh spots scattered through the tissue, in which cae the flesh is called ''measley' When flesh thus in- fested is eaten in a raw or imperfectly cooked state, tapeworms develop in the intestinal canal of the consumer. Thor oughly cooking meat throughout destroys all the parasites 1t contains. and entirely obviates danger from this source.
 Liver, of which dogs are ordinarily very fond, is by reason of it's richness, rather an intestinal irritant than a nourishing food, and is certainly an inappropriate article of diet for delicate stomach It's laxative action probably largely results from the severe indigestion it causes.
 Blood contains nutritive elements of considerable value, and is inferior only to the flesh built up from it. There seems to be a popular prejudice against the use of blood. but when fresh and well cooked, it makes capital food for dogs, and it is also frequentlly readily obtain able where meat is procured only witk difficulty, as the slaughter houses are al. ways located in isolated places.
 Raw bones consist largely of mineral! matter with some fat and protein and suffice alone for the prolonged nutrition of dogs. which generally relish them keenly. They have been aptly described as the dogs toothbrush" and their use :n moderation is essential, though too fre- quent feeding with them prematurely wears away the teeth.
 All dogs should be compeleld to eat a certain amount of vegetable food. in order that their blood and bowels should be kept in proper order. Dogs, like all other animals, are benefited by a change of diet and therefore the owner who really studies the health and happiness of the in- mates of his kennel will endeavor to grat- fly their taste.