OREGON, U.S.A., January 10, 2004: Mad Cow Disease, scientifically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, has caused alarm to some American consumers of beef after a Washington Holstein was identified as carrying the disease. Some are considering adopting a vegetarian diet. This article explains how the beef industry has permeated American Society. Cow by-products are used to make gelatin, soap, asphalt roads and car tires. In the pharmaceutical industry many drugs come from a cow’s body including Heparin, an anticoagulant used to thin blood, and Epinephrine to stimulate the heart in the event of cardiac arrest. The article says, “Plenty to render, recycle — only about half of a beef cow ends up in the meat case, according to the National Renderers Association. The castoffs from beef production — 35 million cattle slaughtered annually — would quickly overflow the nation’s landfills if they weren’t rendered and recycled. So the humble cow continues to yield fertilizer from dried blood, buttons from hooves, neat’s-foot oil from shin bones and toothpaste from fats.” For Hindus, this article is a real eye opener — actually rather shocking — as we revere all life forms and do not consider that a human life form is superior to any other. Our hearts go out to the humble cow, used, abused and never honored in modern society.
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