River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-06-02
AMERICAN PORK.
Results of am Official Inquiry set On
Foot by the Department OF state
American ElOg Products Shown to
NnrIh

American ElOg Products shown to
be the Most Wholesome of any i'm the
World.
In view of the recent action taken by
the French and other European Gov
ernments in regard to American pork,
as well as to be able to correct by posi-
tive and personal evidence the exagger-
ated reports which are published in
Europe concerning hog-cholera and
trichina among American swine, Sec
rotary Blaine sent the Chief of the Bu-
reau of Statistics of the Department of
State to Chicago and Cincinnati to in
vestigate the entire question of hog
raising and pork packing in the west in
all its phases. from the farm to the
Ship
In accordance with the Secretary's
instructions, this gentleman visited rep
resentative hograisers, buyers, ship
pers, packing-houses, stock-yards, rem
dering establishments, health offices
and forwarding agents; and has now
submitted his report, which will be i'm
mediately published by the Depart
ment for circulation in Europe The
conclusions arrived at in this report are
as follows:
l.. Ilbt lllC oWllI0 vi 1hlCIlCsb diS vi
the best and purest breeds, and are fed
and fattened for the market on corn.
1t is not believed that swine are thus
fed in any other country.
2. That the reports published in Eu-
rope concerning the deaths of Ameri-
can hogs from hog-cholera are gross
exaggerations.
3. That the percentage of death
among American swine from disease is
no greater than the percentage of deaths
among European swine from similar
diseases.
4. That American hogs which have
died or may die of cholera, or from amy
cause whatever, can have no relation to
the meat product Except to decrease
it), as such animals cannot by any pos
sibiity pass the severe scrutiny and in
spection to which hogs destined for
killing and curing are subject; that,
even if it were possible to pass such in
spection, no art of the curer could con-
vert such animals into meat which
could pass the inspection, in the words
of a leading curer, ''even of a blind
man."
5. That the fears excited and foster
ed in parts of Europe by interested
persons that any portion of hogs which
have died or may die of cholera or
from any other cause, is or can be con-
verted into m erchantable lard, are
founded on the grossest ignorance, for
merchantable lard cannot be produced
from such dead animals.
6. That every pound of the product
rendered from diseased hogs, except
that part used as fertilizer, is plainly
marked "brown grease, white grease"
or dead hogs grease" and sold as
such, largely, to soap manufacturers;
and that its color and odor preclude it
being mistaken for lard.
z. That the same care is taken in the
handling and manufacture of Ameri-
can lard which is taken in the handling
and curing of American meats; and
that, as the corn-fed American hog is
the cleanest of its species anywhere, it
is undeniable that American lard is the
purest lard in any market.
S. That the percentage of American
hogs infected with trichin@, though
this question is thus far largely one of
supposition, is, in all probability, by
reason of the superiority of the breed
and feed. much less than that among
the hogs in any other country.
9. That the freedom from trichinosis
of the two great pork-consuming cen
tiers of the west, Chicago and Cincinatti,
furnishes the strongest possible evil
donce of the purity of American pork.
In Chicago, for series of years, in
which 10000 deaths were reported with
their causes, only two cases of trichi-
nosis were reported. In Cincinnati,
during the same period not one case
reported.
TO- That the reported cases of trichi-
nosis have resulted from eating I'M
cooked meat, shown to be inferior or
rejected, and thorough cooking entirely
destroys this parasite, and removes all
danger in this regard from eating pork.
IL That the selection, inspection,
and killing of American. hogs, and the
subsequent handling and curing of the
meat are not surpassed, if at all equal
ed for care, precision, and understand
ing by the packers or meat-curers of
any other country.
Il. That as a rule, the hogs selected
for foreign trade are in all respects
equal to the very best disposed of in
our home market.
Is. That the great exaggerations SO
industriously spread in regard to dis
eased pork have been aided by the diff
ferent Specifications attached to the
word pig" In Europe it is used as
the synonym of hog, whereas in Ameri-
ca it means the young swine under six
months, and generally refers to those
only few weeks old. The number of
''pigs" that die from various causes
compared with the numbers of hogs"
that die, is very large, and grossly erro-
neous conclusions are formed by con-
founding the two words.