The evening times., 1896-11-24
IS BAD MEAT SOLD HERE?|
An Inquiry Suggested by Veterinarian
RObinsOn'S Work.
DISEASED ORGANS FOUND
Local Dealers Declare That the
Government Inspection of Animal
Products for Export Amounts to
Nothing, But Foreign Nations Re-
fuse to Buy without 1t.

DR.. c. B. Robinson, veterinary surgeon for
the District health department, is en-
gagged In visiting slaughter houses and
abattors about Washington to inspect
them and determine whether anything like
ly to be dangerous to the public health is
allowed to exist about them.
...,.... ,-..,.--, 49, nd the hpUSss
cleanand well-kept, and has had verylttle to
complained a andhave corrected. incidentally
however, even aneapefJ person aCcOulpany-
ing him on his rOUnus wiil notice conditions
that give rise to apprehension and seem to
call for more complete examination than
Dr. Robinson is authorized TO make.
IL Will De remembered that meat for ship
ment abroad from the United States is all
examined first in the hoof and then with
the ini,ioscopc, unLef tnr dlIcction OF tie
Department of Agriculture. A tag is then
uttachedto show Jnat The meat is Tree from
trichinosis, tuberculosis or other danger rous
disease. Otherwise Germany and France
would pruhiDit the i'm portdtion of American
meat, especially pork and pork products.
MICROSCOPIC TEST.
There is also an inspection by the gov
ernment of all meat for interstate trade,
and IL is made as safe as beef pork,
etc, for export. This gives meat brought
here from outside the District W whatever
advantage arises from the throwing out
of meat found TO be unfit for use
But the health Office OF the district, with
the means at its disposal, is not able TO
make this careful investigation In the
case of each animal. The best il can do
is to see that the slaughter pens are kept
in n sanitary condition, and that no beef
or other meat plainly or bad quality is
offered ON tic market.
The dealers in meats dressed in Wash
ington declare that the government in
spection is a deiusion, however and that
meat, plainly Of so low grade that it
ought not TO be allowed i'll the stalls, is
frequently brought here with the govern.
ment stamp uponit.
In spite OF all the money the govern
ment spends, they assert offering of meat
slaughtered at the great packing ho'I>es
in Chicago and ansas City Will not aver
age as well as that prepared for market
by reputable firms here.
UNFAyORABLE SIGNS.
Indications that sugGes. the necessity Of
further test OF the qualIt Y Of meats dressed
here are found in the condition OF The
viscera. 1t has been observed at several
places during Dr. Robinson's nvestiga
tiUns that the nvers and lights" OF lungs
or animals showed traces Of diseased CON
ditiOn. Sometimes this has been so 1dd
that IL has seemed impossible that the
animal from which the organs Were taken
should not be affected by the disease.
1t mas not been merely oCca siUnal Jumors
i'll the liver, but plain signs that the lungs
were infested with bacteria OF some Kind
or other. OF course, the nicrusCpp" alone
would show with certainty the nature OF
the disease.
An effort to find among the dead hogs
and beeves where the disea sed visCera Were
noticed the particular animal wnicn was
affected has always So far proved fruit
less, but there is reason to believe that
all that Were slaughtered Were sent to
the market.
While nothing has been fully proved, the
facts are sufficient 10 suggest the ncces-
slty OF a closer local inspection, similar
to that made blythe general government for
export meats.