Evening star., 1898-12-30
Chemicals i'm the Beef.
WASHINGTON. ID. {,

September II. 1898.
TO the Assistant Adjutant General. Head
quarters of the Array, Washington, DC
Sir: haze the honor TO report In the
interests OF the service, that In the several
Inspections L made IN the various camps
anu troopships at Tampa. IacksonviIie.
Chlckamausa ana Porto I.lco 1 found the
lresh beef to be apparently preserved with
SecteL chemlcals, MhIch destroys its mai
urdI HaNor, ana which l also belieye TO ba
detrimental TO the health OF the troops
w nile on duty at the headquarters of the
army al tampa, at the ume OF the embark
auon OF the 'Shafter expedition Col Wes-
ION, the efhclenJ chief commiSSary showed
me quarter Of beef that had already a.
a test been sixty hours IN the sun without
pelng percepubly tainted so far as the sense
pL shleIl couid detect. 1t is impossible to
Keep fresh beef so long untainted in the
sun In that climate without the use of dele
terlous preservatives, such as boric acid
saheyl'c acld or nitrate Of potash injected
INTO IL m quantities likely to be hurtful To
the health of the consumer Al Pence
Porto Rico, much of the beef I examined
arriving on the transports from the Tnifed
states was also of the same character. be-
ing apparently preserved by injected chem
lcalS 10 aid deficient cold storage
Where efficient cold storage is iupossi-
Die transporting beef alive is the method
INA tlat should receive the fullest consideration
10y me government, as being the safest for
The health of the consumer When detailed
10 take charge of the transport Panama
LOT conveying convaloscents to the United
states i obtaIaed 1000 pounds of fresh baaF
from the commissary at Ponce. 1t looked
WeH but had an odor similar to that of A
dead human body after being injected with
preservatives, and tasted when hrst cooked
IKE decomposed boric acid while after
standing a day for further inspection n he
came so bitter, nauseous and unpalatable
as TO be quite impossible for use I was
therefore obliged. owing to its CONDITION
and the just complaints of the sick about H.
and the disgustingly sickening odor IL emit
ted when being cooked and its mawkish. fiat
taste when served and the safety Of the
patients-255 cOnvalescent soldiers - on
board, to organize a board Of survey CON
denim and throw 1.500 pounds an we had.
overheard. consequently the conValescents
were entirely without much-needed fresh
beef. making the duty of bringing the men
to the United States in an improved con
dition a very difficult matter.
4 Sickening odor.
I'm my inspection of the 4th United States
Volunteer Infantry, at Jacksonville, re-
Gently, l observed the same odor and taste
upon the fresh beef but not so marked;
and at camp of 9th United States Volunteer
Infantry, at ChiCamauga, l also at several
inspections observed it markedly / there
inspected a lot of beef just issued to that
regiment, and, while IL looked well, was Of
a sickening odor like human body dead OF
disease and injected with personalities, and
when cooked was quite unpalatable. conse-
likely 10 prove an tIllcltnt cause OF
ill health. The men complained OF its in
sipid and mawkiSh flavor that high season.
ing could not conceal.
Believing that the commissary depart
ment has been imposed upon by the mis-
directed commercial spirit of persons fur
nishing fresh beef. L respectfully recon-
mend that the matter be investigated by
experts. making a Quantitative and qualita-
tive chemical analysis of the several pre-
servatiyes suspected to be used by getting
samples of beef furnished for export TO
Cuba and Porto Rico.
IF the question arises that report
should have been made by me earlier, 1 beg
to say that | have endeavored with all my
opportunities to first inform myself by OBJ
servation of the conditions above noted suf-
ficiently to warrant my drawing the atten-
ton of the adjutant general at headquar-
ters of the army to the matter. Very re-
spectfully,
"(Signed) & w. II. DAILY,
Major and Chief Surgeon. L. S. V"
General COrbin has received a typewritten
copy of the stenographic report OF the testi-
mony he gave before the commission. He
has been invited to appear again if he finds
that he wishes to submit additional evi-
dence or if he desires to correct that which
he has already given. This offer will afford
him an opportunity to make clear certain
assertions he made on the stand before, as
to which General Miles has declared the
distinguished witness was mistaken. He
will doubtless again go on the stand.