tly diminished, and the consequently high price
of the article would place it beyond the reach of the masses of the
population. Besides, it has not been proved that the flesh of the
animals brought early to maturity is much inferior, except somewhat in
flavor, to the meat of three-year-old beasts. There is, no doubt, plenty
of unwholesome meat offered for sale, but it is that of animals which
were affected by diseases as likely to attack the young as the old. On
the whole, then, we may say of the improved system of fattening stock,
that it produces a maximum amount of meat on a given area of land; that
the meat so produced is, except in rare cases, perfectly wholesome; that
it is capable of supplying the ingredient--fat--which is almost wholly
absent from a vegetable diet; and, finally, that it places animal food
within the reach of the working classes.

_Diseased Meat._--The losses occasioned to stockowners by the diseases
of live stock are far greater than is generally supposed. It has been
calculated that in the six years ending 1860, the value of the horned
stock lost by disease amounted to L25,934,650. Pleuro-pneumonia was the
chief cause of these losses. Exclusive of the enormous losses occasioned
by the ravages of the rinderpest, the annual loss by disease in live
stock in these countries for some years past cannot be much under
L6,000,000 sterling.

Whether it is owing to the somewhat abnormal condition under which the
domesticated animals are placed, or to causes which operate upon them
when in a state of nature, it is certain that they are remarkably prone
to disease. It is extremely difficult to get a horse six years old that
is not a roarer or a whistler, or "weak on his pins," or in some way or
other unsound. Oxen, sheep, and pigs have almost as many maladies
afflicting them as human flesh is heir to, notwithstanding the short
period of life which they are permitted to enjoy.

It is a very serious question whether or not the flesh of animals that
have been killed while they are in a diseased condition is injurious to
health. The opinions on this point are conflicting, but the majority of
medical men believe that the flesh of diseased animals is not wholesome.
There are certain maladies which obviously render meat unsaleable, by
causing a sensible alteration in its quality. For example, blackleg
in cattle and measles in the porcine tribe render the flesh of these
animals, as a general rule, unmarketable, o