Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-20
MICROSCOPES FOR MEAT
Only One Per Cent, of the Meat
Examined Is Infected.
HEADQUARTERS AT CHICAGO
Appearance Under the Microscope as Seen by
the Staff of Women Who Constitute
the Corps of Examiners.

are more adVantageously expended than
those which are used in the microscopic
department of the Bureau of Animal in
dustry. England really buys more of
our meat than any other country in Eu-
rope. She has never placed any restric-
tionS upon the Importation of our pork
on the ground of health, says the Chica-
go Inter Ocean. Germany, France, Italy,
Austria, Denmark and Spain, however,
refuse to accept it unless ii is examined
and certified as free from germs by COM
petent inspectors Consequently we
We're compelled to establish a depart
ment of microscopy in 1891. For the
year 1895 the total cost to the United
States for this purpose was $93, 451. A
great Improvement in management and
methods of work has cheapened the cost
of examination from So cents per speci-
men to 40 cents, or 2 mills per pound.
Although the real reason of the diScrimi-
nation against American pork is probably
the result of agitation by the ultra-ag
rarian party in Germany, we can very
much better afford the extra expendi-
ture than to lose the trade. The impor-
tation of pork by these countries alone
amounts to 100000 pounds a year. In
addition to this the work in microscopy
has led to important Improvements in the
preparation of meat and the care of
cause, prevention and detection of tri-
chinae have been sent out to them by
the department of agriculture. very
practical proof of the benefits of inspec-
ton is seen in the fact that at present
not more than l per cent. of the meat
examined is found to be infected. No
meat for home consumption is micro
scopically examined and none for ex-
port, except that to the countries men,
toned above.
WAY WORK IS DONE.
The head of the bureau Is in Chicago.
Many people are employed and more
pork is inspected there than at any other
station. The work is done by women,
and the department is located at No. 4193
Halsted street. Any morning after
o'clock between so and 100 women are to
be found working away at their desks.
The desks are new and shining oak ones,
quite long, so that two girls sit at one
desk. Each girl is provided with a mi
croscope, a little pair of steel tweezers,
scissors, and a number of thick glass
slides. The meat Is examined fresh,
smoked or sailed. Small bits are cut
from the shoulder ham, back and sides
of the porker These bits are placed in
little round tin boxes and numbered.
The little boxes are placed in fiat tin cans,
which hold 100 each, and are carted over
from the stock yards to the department.
When work begins in the morning each
examiner takes several of the little tin
numbered slip of paper which Is inside
the box, on top of the meat and carefully
sticks it on holder, at the same time
jotting down the number on report
card printed for that purpose. She also
sets down the date whether the pork
is salt, fresh or smoked, number of the
abattor, and signs her own name at the
end of the report. With the little pair
of tWeezers she takes up the bit of meat,
clips a tiny slice from it, and places 1t
on one OF the glass slides. She does this
in turn for each slice of pork in the box.
With the aid of the scissors and the edge
of another glass slide she reduces the
specimens to pulp. Then she puts
little water on it, and, taking the two
glass slides, presses them tightly together
with the meat between them. The stun
is then transparent.
The examiner now places the glasses
beneath the lens, having first clamped
them together with a little brass holder.
She slides the specimen UP and down
carefully, moving it over groove by
groove until she has examined every par
ticle of it. She sets the result down on
the report card under the head of "tri-
chnae, yes or no. and marks 1t "A l..
Then she makes another examination
from the same box and marks it "A 2,
as the case may be. That box is then
finished 1t may mean that one porker
has been examined. or five separate pieces
of meat as hams or shoulders. Some
times one, sometimes the other method
packer. 1t makes no difference to the
department
MAGNIFIER THIRTY-FIVE TIMES.
For convenience in filing orders the eX-
porters usually prefer to have the meat
approved by the piece. Out of the $500
examinations made in day there Will
be about 3, 400 of these pieces.
The microscope used magnifes about
thirty-five times, and is made especially
for the government. each girl ex-
amines about fifty boxes day. 1t does
not take very long to become expert at
the work. The wages are $50 per month,
and the hours from eight to three o'clock,
with a half an hour at noon for luncheon.
Tor the past two years the employ ment
has been steady
When work at one bureau, say Kansas
CITY. is not heavy, the employees are
transferred from that bureau to another.
About twenty mcroscopists have been
transferred from other places WITHIN the
last two weeks to Chicago.
On looking through the microscope at
one of the slides the meat is seen to be
clear, and of faint pinkish, yellow col
or 1t appears in all sorts OF fantastic
circles and curves. But II the meat Is in
fected probably only one of the germs
is to be seen on the slide. But 1t Is readi-
~ detected II will be seen as spindle
shaped disk inclosing a spiral Under the
microscope it looks from one-quarter to
one third Of an inch long. The spiral is
the trichina and indicates a diseased con-
dition. In the meat they multiply rapidly
so that it is estima ted that there are 81
900 in one morsel of infected pork and g.
100000 in one pound. Introduced in the
human body from pork they cause GER
tain and painful death. Danger from
them may always be avoided by cooking
pork we'll
The reason the Germans suffer so fire.
quently from eating pork is that often
they do not cook 1t, but consume it after
1t has been simply smoked. If pork is
found infected with trichinae the loss
falls upon the exporter. The meat Is
condemned and used for making soap.
The microscopic work is superintendent
by DIR. Balzer. The entire department Is
under the supervision of DR.. w. S. De-
voc. He Is q general favorite, and en-
ployes say that the humblest workman
IN the yards can always get a hearing
from the doctor. 1t Is largely owing to
his efforts that the bureau has reached
its present state of organization and ex-
cellence, with an expenditure of a COM
paratively small amount annually.