Atlas of Meat Inspection Pathology
by William S. Monlux, Andrew W. Monlux
August 1995
An atlas of meat-inspection pathology is a bound collection of photographs, supported by explanatory legends and text, illustrating lesions found in meat-producing animals at the time of slaughter for food. It functions as a ready reference guide for meat inspectors who are searching for current terminology and for assistance in interpreting lesions and in making diagnoses. For the most part, the meat inspector must make immediate diagnoses of pathologic conditions without recourse to laboratory assistance. It follows, then, that the quality of meat-inspection services is largely dependent on the knowledge of the inspector and the accuracy of his diagnoses. Certainly, the inspector’s acquisition of knowledge and accuracy is enhanced by the laboratory; by providing him with additional information about the specimens he submits, the laboratory performs a valuable educational function and serves the dual purpose of substantiating his diagnoses and of preventing him from perpetuating misconceptions. However, experience has demonstrated that often the diagnostic laboratory’s most carefully prepared description falls woefully short of clearly explaining the microscopic alterations found in pathologic specimens.