This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 Excerpt: ...of meat. From these figures it will be seen that the amount of fat may vary considerably, and that the water and nitrogenous materials are very much reduced in fat meat. Fat meat contains a greater store of energy than lean, but it is neither palatable nor easy of digestion, except by people who have to work under ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 Excerpt: ...of meat. From these figures it will be seen that the amount of fat may vary considerably, and that the water and nitrogenous materials are very much reduced in fat meat. Fat meat contains a greater store of energy than lean, but it is neither palatable nor easy of digestion, except by people who have to work under severe climatic conditions. The composition of meat is affected by various factors, such as the age of the animal, sex, breed, condition, feeding, &c. In young animals the muscles are not fully formed, and are more watery, so that young meat may lose from to of its weight in cooking; the syntonin or muscle-albumen is replaced by gelatine-forming substances, and the fat and salts are also diminished in amount. These defects are exemplified by veal, the use of which may lead to disturbance of the digestive system unless the animal has been "fed" for some time, and even then it is wanting in flavour and nourishing properties, though owing to the prevalence of immature proteids, forming gelatine on boiling, it is well suited for soups. The best beef is obtained from a four-year-old ox, and the best mutton from three-year-old sheep. The flesh of the female is always more delicate than that of the male, and especially at the breeding season the flesh of the latter is apt to be coarse and rank, so that animals bred for feeding have their flesh improved in flavour by early removal of the sexual organs. All animals used as food are vegetable feeders, with the exception of the pig, which may be called omnivorous, though never better than when restricted to its proper vegetable diet, and in many cases the flavour of the several feeding-stuffs is imparted to the flesh. The quantity of meat is greatly influenced by breed, and the condition and ge...
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