The herald., 1898-12-31
THAT EhIBAlMED BEEF
DIsausTED OFFICERS AND MEN
ALIKE
LOOKED LIKE HUMAN C0RPsEs
And the Taste Was So Vile That No
One Could Be Forced to
Eat It
Associated Press Special wire

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30--The War In
vestigating Committee held brief execu-
tive session today and at noon adjourned I'M
til Tuesday, January 3d.. There was no
important action at today's meeting, and
the matter of recalling Commissary- General
Eagan, Maj Gen. Shafter or Maj. Gen.
Miles, as result of the agitation over the
beef issued to the army in the war, remains
undetermined. A decision probably will
be reached next Tuesday, when it is likely
there will be full attendance of the COM
mission, absence over the holidays of a MA
jority Of the members resulting in making
the past weeks proceedings of an unimpor-
tant character.
The committee today made public re-
port omitted in the statement given out
yesterday bearing on the beef controversy.
1t is from Maj. w. III. DAILY, Chief Surgeon
at army headquarters at Tampa prior to the
sailing of the Shafter expedition, and is
a. follows:
Washington, Sept. 81, 1898.
To the Adjutant-Ge Headquarters
of the Army, Washington: Sir-l have the
honor to report in the interests OF the SER
vice that i'll the several inspections l made
N the various camps and troopships at
Tampa, Jacksonville, Chickamauga and
Porto Rico that found the fresh beef to
be apparently preserved with secret chemi-
calls, which destroys its natural flavor and
which also believe to be detrimental to the
health of tho troops. .
While on duty at the headquarters of the
army ut Tampa, at the time OF the embarka-
tion OF the Shatter expedition, Col. Weston,
the efficient Chief Commissary, showed me
, quarter OF beef that had already, as a test,
been sixty hours in the sun without being
perceptibly tainted, so far as the sense OF
smell could determine. 1t is impossible
to keep fresh beef so long untainted in the
sun in that climate without the use OF pre-
ecrvatives, such as boric acid or nitrate of
potash injected into it in quanaities likely
to be hurtful to the health of the consumer
At Ponce much of the beef arriving on the
transports from the United States was also
OF the same character, being apparently pre-
served by injecting chemicals to aid def
cient cold storage.
When detailed to take charge of the trans
port Panama, for conveying convalescents
to the United States, obtained 1000 pounds
of fresh beef from the commissary at'Ponce.
1t looked well but had ap odor similar to
that of a dead human body after being in
jected with preservatives, and tasted, when
first cooked, like decomposed bodies, which
after standing day for further inspection,
became so bitter, nauseous and unpalatable
as to be quite impossible for ,ise ] was
therefore obliged, owing to the condition
and complaints of the sick about it, and
the disglstingly sickening odor it emitted
when being cooked and mawkish flat taste
when served, and the safety of the patients
255 convalescent soldiers on board to organ
ize Board OF Survey, condemn and throw
1900 pounds, all we had, overheard, conse-
quently the convaescents were entirely
without much-needed fresh beef, making the
duty Of bringing the men to the United
States in an improved condition very diff
ficult matter. ''' sh
IN my inspection of the Fourth United
States Volunteer Infantry at jacksonville,
recently, ] observed the same odor and taste
on the fresh beef, but not so marked; and al
the camp of the Sixth Infantry at Chicka-
mauga l also, at several inspections, OBJ
served it markedly. | there inspected a lot
oil beef just issued to that regiment and
while it looked well was of sickening odor
like a human body dead OF disease and in
was quite unpalatable, consequently likely
to prove an efficient cause of ill-health. The
men complained of its insipid and mawkish
flavor that high seasoning could not con-
ceal.
Believing that the Commssary Depart
ment has BEEN imposed upon by the misdi-
rected commercial spirit of persons furnish
ing fresh beei, | respectfully recommend
that the matter be investigated by experts,
making a quantitative and qualitative chem
ical analysis of theseveral preservatives sus-
pected to be used by getting samples of beef
furnished Tor export to Cuba and Porto
Rico.
IF the question arises that report should
have been made by me earlier beg to say
thatl have endeavored with all my opportli-
mites to, first inform myself by observa-
tions. of the conditions as above noted, suffi-
ciently. to warrant my drawing the atten-
tion of the Adjutant-G General at headquar-
ters of the army to the matter. Very re-
spectfnlly. w. II. DAILY.
Major and Chief Surgeon U. S. W"