The Rock Island Argus., 1885-06-24
THAT BEEF BUSINESS .
The Sickness Oceasi0ned by Canned
COrned Meat.-.Nature OF the Ill
ness and Other Particulars.

Ihe sickness OccaS1Oneu Dy Cuhheu
C0rned Meat.-.Nature Of the Ill
ness and Other Particulars.
Shortly before going to press yesterday |
the ARGUS was informed OF
the prevailing illness in the upper end OF
the city occasioned by the consumption
Of corn beef purchased at certain
butcher shop in Rock Island. A hasty
investigation of the facts IN the case was
made, which resulted in the article which
appeared in the ARGUS of last evening.
That report was somewhat exaggerated in
one sense and but meagre in another.
There were not so many families affected
as stated, and the details in the matter
were not furnished as completely as
they might have been. had more time
been given TO ascertain the particulars.
AS it was, the facts were given to the
public as obtained at this office.
Today thorough investigation was
made of the whole affair and surrounding
circumstances. That the sickness was
caused by corn beef purchased on Satur>
day last at hebutcher shop, 2211 Fourth
avenue, there is not the slightest doubt
in the mind of Health Commissioner
Craig and the other physicians attending
the patients. The ARGUS has in no way
charged Mr.. Heorath with willfully pois-
oning his customers, and no one be-
lieves such were his intentions. 1t
is misfortune to him that the meat came
from his shop. but the public should not
be deprived of knowledge of the matter
because of his misfortune.
THE SYMPTOMS
of those affected are peculiar. The patient
is taken with feeling of nausea, follow
ed by purging, chills and fever. After an
attack the patient suffers great weakness
and with feeble person or child the
illness would go very hard, In many of
the recent cases the patient has been seN
riously i'll, and several are very low still,
| THE COMPOSITION
which has caused all the trouble is called
picked or compressed corn beef Mr. {.
Heorath showed an ARGUS scribe this af
ternoon. his manner of making the COM
pound. His beefs are first put into
an ice chest, then thrown into
salt water where the salt meat
remains over night, when it is put
into large iron pot and boiled, sftel
which it is put into pound tin cans, open
at the top, and again put on ice unit
thoroughly cooled. when it is sold il
slices. From two hundred to three hun
dred pounds were sold on Saturday
Butchers it is said often make this prep
aration of the scraps of meat about tht
shop, which is very dangerous practice
as what is often put into the compound
in this case, would not be offered for sal
in public view. Mr.. Heorath, however
claims to have been careful to avoid an!
mixture in his preparation, he says onl,
one article of beef is used in it. Ever,
thing aboat Mr.. Heorath's shop is nea
and clean. and appearances go to shoy
that he has aimed TO conduct his bushes
honorably and ligitimately.
, At DR.. Craig's request, Mr.. Frank Mad
: Ter. of the Fourth avenue drug store,
today preparing microscopical and
! CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
OF the meat sold by Mr.. Hoerath, an
this will be ready some time tomorrow
I THOSE AFFECTED
s number somewhere between twenty an
r thirty. The families where the symptom
e have been shown and the number in eac
$ affected are: John N. Oswald. 2,607 Win
e street, five; Mrs. Elizabeth Hogan, 2,2l
- Fifth abenue. 8; W. A. Patterson. Twer
ty. third between Fifth and Sixth avenue
:, 8; Christ Baker, 2706 Vine, 2; John Kan,
S 2700 Vine. 3; Hugh McGee, AIS Twenty
e second street. 4; Joseph Pearson, Fourt
il avenue, 9; N. T. Schumacher 2117 Fourt
e avenue, 8. There are besides these,
:. number of others in the neighbOrhoC
h who lave received medical attendance, bl
It who have kept the matter quiet in ord
y to avoid publicity.