The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-12-31
BEEF WASBAD
Surgeon DAILY Made an Official
Report Oh the Matter in
September.
Suspected 1t Was Chemically Pre-
served Even Before Sllaiter
Sailed.
Looked All Right, but 1t Smelled
Like Embalmed Human
Flesh.
Supply for COnvalescentS Return.
ing From Porto Rico Thrown
Overheard.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 31.-The wal in
vestigating commission held a brief Ak
ecutive session and at noon adjourned
until Tuesday. Jan. ). There was no
important action and the matter Of re-
calling Commissary General Eagan.
Major General Shafter or Major General
Miles. as a result of the agitation over
the beef issues to the army insthe war,
remains undetermined.
The commission has made public a re-
port. heretofore omitted. bearing or the
beef controversy. 1t is from Major w.
II. DAILY, chief surgeon, at army head
quarters at Tampa. prior to the sailing
of the Shafter expedition. and is as fol-
lows:
Washington. Sept. 81. 1898. Assist
ant Adiutant General. Headquarters of
Army. Washington. Sir: | have the
honor to report in the interest of the
service that i'll the several inspections |
made in the various camps and troop
ships at Tampa. jacksonville. Chicka-
manga and Porto Rico, that found the
fresh beef to be apparently preserved
with secret chemicals. which destroys
us udtuIdl ' tIIt "lltI L dlS' X
lieve 10 be detrimental to the health of
the troops.
1t Kept Too Well.
while on duty at the headquarters of
the army at Tampa. at the time of the
embarkation of the .Shafter expedition
Colonel Weston. the efficient chief COM
missary. showed me a quarter of beef
that had already. as a test, been 60
hours in the sun without being percept-
IDLY tainted. So far as the sense of smell
could detect. 1t IS impossible to keep
fresh beef 50 long untainted in the sun
in that climate without the Use OF dele
FERROUS preserves. such as boric acid.
salicylic acid or nitrate of potash inject
ed into ii in quantities likely to be hurt
ful to the health of the At
Ponce. Porto Rico, food arriving on the
transports from the United States was
also of the am character. being appar-
emily preserved by injected chemicals to
aid deficient cold storage.
Where efficient cold storage is i'm
possible. Transporting beef alive is the
method that should receive the fullest
consideration by the government as
being safest for the health of the con-
sumner. When detailed to take charge
of the transport Panama for conveying
convalescents to the United States. | oD-
tanned 1900 pounds of fresh beef from
the commissary at Ponce. 1t looked
we'll. but had an odor similar to that of
dead human body after being injected
with ~preservatives. After standing a
day for further inspection, it became so
bitter. nauseous and unpalatable as TO
be quite impossible for use. | wa-
therefore obliged. owing 10 its condition
and the complaints of the sick about it.
and the disgustingly sickening odor it
emitted when being cooked. and its
mawkish. Hat taste when served, for the
Safety Of the 25o convalescent soldiers
on board. t 0 throw Loo pounds. all we
had. overheard. consequently the con
valescents Were entirely without much
needed fresh beef. mas : the duty of
bringing the men to t.e United States
in an improved condition very difficult
matter.
same z, .Jaclsonville and Chickanauga.
III ny inspection Of the Fourth United
States volunteer infantry at Jackson
vile. r,e,ngly. / observed this same
o1Dr al. t.s,e upon the fresh beef. but
9 s., H~Isrxei: and az camp of Sixth
Ua.ri state, volunteer infantry at
tatc1al1anga. | also. at several inspec-
ions. Observed it markedly. 1t had the
,dlue slrkening o1or as the beef before
mentioned.
Believing that the commissary de-
partlnent has been imposed upon by
the INSTRUCTED commercial spirit of
persons furnishing fresh beef l respect
fully recommend that the matter be in
vestigated by experts, making a quanti-
;ative and qualitative chemical analysis
Of the several personalities suspected
to be used by getting samples of beef
furnished for export to Cuba and Porto
Rico.
If the question arises that a report
should have been made by me earlier, l
beg to say that | have endeavOred with
all my opportunities to first inform my
self by observation Of the conditions
above noticed sufficiently to warrant
my drawing the attention of the adju-
tant general at headquarters of the army
to the matter. Very respectfully,
w. H. DAILY,
Major and Chief Surgeon, U. S. V.
-