The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-04-06
Presents His Report to the Army Court In
Vestigating the Subject.
Shows That It Was Generally Good,
But Doubted as to Whether
the Heat of the Tropical
Climate Would Not Cause the
Fat in the Cans to Liquify and
Render the Food Disp1easing to
the Sight.

| WASHINGTON, April 0.-The two
principal witnesses before the beef in
quiry court to-day were Professor Rus
sell H. Chittenden of Yale College and
DR.. Samuel A. Currie, who was Lieu
tenant Colonel of the Second New Jer-
sey Regiment which was stationed at
Jacksonville during the war
| Professor Chittenden is one of the
chemists selected by the Government to
analyze the canned roast beef He pre-
scented his report showing that the beef
generally was good. No chemicals had
been found by him in its preparation,
and it was generally wholesome He,
however, expressed doubt as to whether
the heat of the tropical climate would
not cause the fat in the cans to liquefy
and thus render the food displeasing to
the sight.
| Colonel Davis stated that most of the
cans from which most of the samples
were taken for analysis had been ex-
posed to the heat of tropical countries,
some of the cans being brought from
Havana for the purpose of the test.
/ DR.. Currie testified that the refriger-
ator beef supplied at Jacksonville had
on some occasions made the men sick.
He had made al chemical analysis of the
/ beef which in one case showed the
presence of salicylic acid, and in an
other of boracic acid.
Major Lee presented more of the cor
respnndence between General Miles and
t. court, and put in a request on he
half of the General that nine of the 100
witnesses whose names he had hereto
fore suggested be called, saying that
they would testify concerning refriger-
ator beef and chemically treated beef.
The court did not indicate whether the
request would be complied with
YESTERDAYS TESTIMONY.
WASHINGTON, April 5.-The army
beef court of inquiry opened to-day
with Colonel r. W. Huntington of the
United States Marine Corps on the
stand. He was in charge of the de-
tachment Of marines which made such
fine record at Guantanamo. He said
I the health of the troops while there was
good, varying with the weather, de-
pending largely, apparently, upon the
| rainfall.
There had been no complaint, he said,
concerning the food supply, as five-sev-
enthS of the meat used was refrigerat I'd
beef. AS the beef was, however, used
almost Immediately after being taken
! from the icebox, no canned roast beef
was used.
He attributed the immunity of his
command from Illness to adequate food
and distilled water
Professor H. Chfttenden of Yale Col
/ lege to whom the court entrusted the
analysis of canned roast beef of the
various companies from whom the
Government had made purchases of this
article, gave the result of his exami-
nation, Colonel Davis reading his re-
port and also the instructions of the
court to him.
The instructions showed that three
cans each of the canned roast beef pre-
pared by the Prairie Canning Compa-
n.y. the Armour Company and the Will
son Company, which had been exposed
to the tropical climate were Furnished
to Professor Chittenden.
His report dealt largely with the
chemical methods employed, but the
result was entirely favorable to the
beef as a food product He stated that
he had made a careful study of the
samples furnished, having analysed all
of them, comparing them with fresh
beef, and devoting himself also to de-
termining the presence or absence Of
preservation. He had, he said, found
the contents perfectly sweet, and emit
ting the odor always given out by
cooked meat In some cans the meat
particles were large, while in Others
they were not. The fat particles were
generally found concentrated on one
side or the other of the can.
Notwithstanding that the meat had
been placed in bottles and exposed to
the warm air of the laboratory it had
retained its freshness for several days.
1t had then developed mold, afterward
decomposing. In all the samples sup
piled, the proportion of fat and protein
was such as to bring them into the
range of good beef.
Considerable attention was given to
large layers of fat found on the sur
face of each, which, as found by him,
was always solid.
Professor Chittenden had found upon
investigation that the fat melted at As
degrees centrigrade, or 113 Fahrenheit,
and some in a lower temperature and
once melted did not again solidify at a
hi CHER temperature than SO cantrigrade
The presence of the melted fat rendered
it doubtful whether the food was suit
able for tropical climate, except un-
der conditions where extreme heat
could be guarded against or where veg
etables to be cooked with the meat are
available.
All the samples had shown the pres
ence of gelatine but careful tests failed
to develop either boric or salicylic
acid The specimens supplied by the
Wilson Packing Company (Which were
corned) showed the presence of salt or
saltpetre. Some of the meats were
red, giving rise to the suspicion that
they might have been colored by ami
line dye, as in the case of sausage.
Tests had, however, failed to show that
such was the case.
It was made evident that the meat
was boiled rather than roasted. On
this account there was a loss of come
of the inorganic salts and therefore
some OF its nutritive qualities Still
there was sufficient protein in one can
of beef to sustain man for two days.
Major Lee only entered upon a slight