The relation of the appearance of the tissue mast cells in the various organs to the various methods of slaughter and to the time elapsed after slaughter was observed. White male mice weighing approximately 120 gm were slaughtered by beating, strangling, exsanguination, air instillation, or anesthesia. Tissue specimens were then obtained from the specisc portions of the skin, tongue, liver, trachea, lung, heart, esophagus, small intestine, large intestine, adrenal, and thymus of each mouse and were kept under room temperature. Tissue blocks were then taken from each specimen and were fixed immediately, 30 minutes, 3 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours after slaughter. Histological observations on the appearance of tissue mast cells have led the author to the following conclusions.
1) In general, the number of the tissue mast cells appearing in the various organs depends upon the methods of slaughter; it is maximum following beating and is miniulum following exsanguination, the frequency number being in the order of beating, strangling, air instillation, anesthesia, and exsanguination.
2) The number of the tissue mast cells appearing in the various organ, depends upon the time elapsed after slagughter, although it is also influenced by the method of slaughetr and by the type of organ tissue. In general, the number begins to increase immediately after slaughter reaching to a peak 3 hours or 24 hours post-mortem. It then gradually decreases and by 72 hours post-mortem becomes only a small fraction of that immediately post-mortem.
3) During the period in which the number of the tissue mast cells appearing in the various organs after slaughter is on the increase, the per centage of the normal tissue mast cells increases while that of the diffuse tissue mast cells decreases. During the period in which the number of tissue mast cells is on the decrease, the former decreases while the latter increases. The fact that the number of tissue mast cells continues to increase until approximately 12 hours after slaughter suggests that unless the tissue cells of a specimen have died completely secretions of various substances from tissue mast cells diminiah or cease altogether and an attempt at regeneration by tissue mast cells continues, thus resulting in the increase in the number of tissue mast cells.
4) Above observations indicate that the appearance of the tissue mast cells in the various organs of white mice depends not only upon the methods of slaughter but also upon the time elapsed from slaughter to tissue fixation.
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