BEEF NODULES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1035, 26 January 1911, Page 8

BEEF NODULES.

~• "UNSIGHTLY, BUT, HARMLESS." , The subject of bsef. uodu'es is one which is exciting considerable'-interest at present. " •'■' '■'■■'■' The "Sydney lldrning Herald" publishes a statement of Dr. Ashburton 1 liani'pson(President. of the Board .of Health) inreference to the parasite: ."The-beef nodules have been for many years known in the State," said Dr. Thompson. "The question of public'health in respect to them which hus lately attracted attention in England appears to liuvo. : benn . virtually decided by Dr. Leiper, a London helminthologist, who in. a paper stated- that the parasite is known* as Onchocerca gibsoui;.that it belongs to the family of lilaril worms; and that it is not Communicable from animal'to animal, but must be transferred. He said it had never been'found, in the blood stream, and could not possibly be communicated from beef Iα man 'by eating. Moreover, it is invariably dead within a few hours oMho slaughter of the animal. Its presence, though -unsightly,- does not, he said,,in any way deteriorate the quality' of tho beef. "All thosa facts." Dr. Thompson added, "have been-long known-in the State biit no further notice has boon taken of nodules than to remove them. It .appears to , be thought in London that, beef that.is afn-cted can't.-bo called first-class. For this there i= some theoretical or sentimental justification, but-as-a-matter of fact tho carcasses so affected aro : usually 'in' every other respect first-class. As in [Similar cases, such as when there is damage to portion of fhip's cargo by fire, the remainder, though undamaged', fails to bring the usual market prices, so it is to bo expected that advantage will be taken of tho blemish to lower-the vnlnc of the meat -temporarily in the market. '.This can't be helped."