whatever method or means antagonizes their production, or antidotes, restricts, or removes the results of their presence is antiseptic.

The ideal treatment of a wound is that by which a perfectly aseptic condition should be obtained and preserved; where this is impracticable the object of treatment becomes changed to the application of means to diminish the activity of the septic organisms, to secure the rapid removal of their products, and to increase the resisting power of the wounded tissues.

Cleanliness is the very first essential in all our routine work— in fact, there is no such thing as asepsis without absolute cleanliness. I do not know how to sufficiently emphasize the importance and actual necessity of cleanliness in each and every detail, if we expect to obtain the best results possible. Practitioners with unkempt surroundings, and who in their actual daily practice belittle their calling by their disregard of water and their careless toleration of dirt, will not be expected, much less inclined, to carry out the scientific principles laid down in this paper. Fortunately this indifferent and careless class of veterinarians have to give way to the more competent and worthy.

(To be continued.)

MEAT-INSPECTION.

BY S. G. BURKHOLDER, M.D., V.S.,

CHICAGO, ILL.,

PROFESSOR OF MEAT-INSPECTION IN THE M'KILLIP VETERINARY COLLEGE.

MEAT-inspection is a part of veterinary medicine, the object of which is:

1. To discriminate unwholesome, innutritious, diseased meats from healthy, nutritious, and innocuous meats.

2. To prevent the substitution of carcasses or parts of carcasses of animals not usually used for human food, such as the horse, dog, cat, etc., for the carcasses of cattle, sheep, rabbits, etc.

3. To prevent the carcasses or parts of carcasses or other products of animals that have suffered from some febrile or infectious disease, or are in an advanced stage of pregnancy, from being sold to the unsuspecting public as wholesome meat.

4. To prevent animals suffering from contagious and infectious diseases from mingling with healthy animals or travelling over territories occupied by healthy animals, and thus spread the infection. Meat-inspection may be divided into a science and an art. science of meat-inspection consists of:

The

1. A thorough knowledge of the anatomy and comparative anatomy of cattle, sheep, and swine, as well as of the horse, dog, and other animals sometimes substituted for the former.

2. A thorough knowledge of the nature, symptoms, and pathological changes caused by the various diseases in animals, as well as the significance of these abnormal conditions.

3. A thorough knowledge of the nature of the infectious diseases transmissible from one animal to another or from animals to man, and the mode or channel through which transmission takes place.

The art of meat-inspection is the application of this knowledge in practice, thus preventing the transmission of disease from animal to animal or animal to man.

When we consider the object and importance of meat-inspection we at once realize the responsibilities resting upon the men who have charge of this work. The essential qualifications of a meatinspector may be summed up as follows:

1. He must have a thorough knowledge of the science and art of meat-inspection.

2. He must be alert and conscientious, always realizing that the destiny and welfare of the public in a measure rests upon his ability and good judgment.

3. He must be resolute, courageous, and unyielding to either threats or bribes.

The importance of these three qualifications and the lamentable fact that they are not possessed by all in the meat-inspection service tempts me to discuss them a little more.

Since the power of making appointments to the Federal Meatinspection Department has been placed under the ban of civil service the standard of the required qualifications of applicants for positions in this service has been raised, and the result is that the work is more efficient to-day than it ever was at a relatively less cost to the government.

Perhaps the paramount qualification of a meat-inspector is a thorough knowledge of the science and art of meat-inspection.

In the first place, he must be able to recognize the characteristic color, odor, firmness, and anatomical structure of the carcasses of all animals used as food, as well as those animals not used as food, which, however, might be substituted for such animals. For example: Horse meat may be substituted for that of the ox; the carcass of a dog for that of a lamb, etc. Not that the product of these animals would be directly injurious to the health of those

consuming them, nevertheless it seems unnatural, and our gustatory sense must undergo a prolonged course of training before we can relish such delicacies.

Of greater importance is a thorough knowledge of diseases of animals, especially those transmissible from one animal to another, or from animals to man. The symptoms and lesions characterizing each disease should be thoroughly understood and recognized, so that proper disposition can be made of the carcass without unnecessarily exposing susceptible animals or man to the disease.

While this may be considered the paramount qualification of the meat-inspector, it is by no means the only requisite. Unless he is conscientious and has the best interest of the public at heart, rather than his monthly check, his services can be easily dispensed with. He must be prompt, watchful, and alert, and investigate every suspicious action of those who might, by eluding his vigil, place upon the market meat that is unwholesome or diseased. The mercenary instinct of man is so strong that for the gain of a few dollars he is tempted to sell to the unsuspecting public meat from animals that are suffering from some infectious disease, as tuberculosis, actinomycosis, etc.

Again, a meat-inspector may be thoroughly competent in knowledge, conscientious, and alert, but he may lack courage and resolution, and yield to the bribes and perhaps threats of those whose conscientious scruples are overshadowed by their avaricious tendencies. Meat-inspectors who lack either ability, conscientiousness, or courage are a source of great danger to the public, and yet I regret to say they exist and will continue to exist as long as political influence is a stronger factor than competence in obtaining and retaining the position of meat-inspector.

Through the operations of the Bureau of Animal Industry, organized in 1884, in the Department of Agriculture, millions of dollars have no doubt been saved each year to the stock-breeders of this country as well as the lives of a number of people.

As early as 1870 the Commissioner of Agriculture recognized the importance of organized and scientific action to control diseases of animals, especially contagious pleuro-pneumonia and Texas fever, which diseases were then prevalent, causing disastrous losses and threatening to rapidly decimate the bovine tribe.

The large majority of veterinarians at that time were ignorant, superstitious empiricists. The few men who had scientific knowledge could not cope with the diseases because they were not supported by the Federal authorities.

In 1877 Congress granted the first appropriation, amounting to $10,000, for the purpose of controlling or eradicating these rapidly spreading diseases.

Dr. D. E. Salmon, of Washington, D. C., was one of the early promoters of this work, and when in 1884 Congress directed the organization of the Bureau of Animal Industry he was appointed chief of the bureau.

The stock-raising industry at this time was in a deplorable state. Our animals had been prohibited entrance into most of the European countries, and the prevalence of contagious pleuro-pneumonia and Texas fever in cattle, hog-cholera in swine, and scab in sheep, seriously interfered with interstate traffic at home, and the stockraisers were almost panic-stricken. Dr. Salmon went to work at once introducing measures necessary to stop the spread of diseases among animals, and conducted original investigations to obtain further knowledge regarding the nature of these diseases.

The duties of the new bureau were most pressing, and the obstacles with which they had to contend interfered materially with their progress. Perhaps the paramount duty of the bureau at this time was to check and attempt to eradicate contagious pleuropneumonia, the disease which was rapidly devastating the bovine tribe, the losses of which amounted to millions of dollars to the stock-raisers. It is a deplorable fact that influential men, even the Commissioner of Agriculture himself, under whom the work was to be conducted, doubted the nature of the disease.

It was not until 1887 that Congress appropriated money and gave authority to purchase and kill all sick and exposed animals. By thus vigorously attacking the disease it was at once under control, and by the early part of 1892 it was considered completely eradicated. Not a single case has been reported since.

The inspection of imported cattle is so thorough and systematic that we have little fear of a fresh invasion. The complete eradication of this fatal and widely disseminated disease in the short period of five years, and with the relatively small expenditure of $1,500,000, is considered a notable achievement, and devolves great credit upon the men who were members of the bureau at that time. Texas fever is another disease that was playing havoc among the bovines, arousing the government's attention as early as 1868. The disease existed and its peculiarities were recognized in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Organized action was, however, not taken until after the establishment of the Bureau of Animal Industry.

In 1889 the bureau inaugurated a series of systematic investigations, and by the end of 1890 the nature, cause, and mode of infection of the disease were well understood. The disease has since been held in check, and we hope for a complete eradication at an early date.

Hog-cholera in swine and sheep scab are two other diseases that aroused the attention of the government at an early date, owing to the extensive destruction of animal life and the rapidity with which it spread.

The Bureau of Animal Industry steadily grew from the time of its inception, in 1884, until 1891, when it was found necessary to reorganize it into divisions, so that the work might be better systematized.

In March, 1891, Congress directed the Secretary of Agriculture to make an ante-mortem inspection of all cattle, sheep, and swine killed for foreign and interstate trade, and also authorized him to make a post-mortem inspection at his discretion. In this way the government was enabled to certify to the wholesomeness of exported meats.

At the same time microscopic inspection was inaugurated of all hog products exported to countries demanding microscopic inspection. In this way the confidence of foreign countries in the wholesomeness of our beef and pork products was re-established. The result is that our export trade in animal products is enormous.

This is, however, not all the Bureau of Animal Industry has accomplished. Let us consider a few of the more important contagious diseases and see what has been done in the way of controlling and eradicating them.

First, let us take up hog-cholera. We are all more or less familiar with the disease, and know how exceedingly fatal it is after once it gets into a herd of swine. For several years the bureau has been experimenting with an antitoxic serum with encouraging results. The serum is prepared by inoculating cattle, horses, mules, etc., with filtered, sterile or live cultures of hogcholera and swine-plague bacilli, respectively, or solutions of their products, including the cell contents, extracts, and secretions. The quantities inoculated at first are small, but are gradually increased until large amounts can be inoculated without bad results. This must be continued for a period of from six to eight months.

The serum obtained from these animals has been used in a number of cases, with the result that about 80 per cent. of animals in diseased herds were saved.