The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-14
EXPERT SAYS BEEF
WAS EMBALMED
An Undertaken Found Evidence Of Pre-
sentative.
MEAT BECAME DISCOLORED
Discovered Substance Employed In Pre-
serving Human Bodies.
DR.. BIGELoW FURNISHES REPORT
Declared That it Was His Opinion That
Canned and Refrigerated Beef
Was Nutritious and Health
ful-Another Chemist.

ment, told the war court of inquiry today
that the canned corned beef was a whole
seine and nutritiye product-even more nu-
tritious than fresh beef because of pre-
ponderance of protetds. He also gave the
details of his general investigation in the
canned beef supply, showing the meat 10
be a generally satisfactory ration.
Professor Mallet, professor of c-.emistry
at the University of Virginia, presented a
contrary view. He expressed the opini5
that a chemical analysis was not a suff-
cient test of the character of food prod
uct saying that various conditions neces-
sarly must be considered. He did not
gard the canned roast beef a desirable ra-
ton.
Rudolph K. Spicer, an undertaken of Har
risburg, Pa, sad he had discovered crys-
talline salts in the refrigerator beet in
Porto Rico which reminded him of low
ders used in embalming.
Spicers Testimony
When the court of inquiry convened today
Spcer testified he was a member of SLe
Fourth Pennsylvania regiment and served
in Porto Rico. He had paid SPECIAL a-ten-
ton to the meat issue. The cooks found it
necessary to cut off Two or three inches
of the refrigerated beef because of tne
greenish discoioration.
II also noticed crystalline scales on tbs
meat" he said. 1T was generally in the
joints, and it Immediately occurred to me
that some article like soda or DaraciLe
acid had been used on the meat, such as
we embalmers use on human bodies wnen
they begin to crack
He had eaten of this meat only once and
1t made him sick. Mr. SpIcer found the
canned roast beef similar and disagIeeab. e.
Much of it had been thrown away by the
men.
DIR. Bigelow's OHicial Report
The official report of DR.. B:gelow, of the
agricultural department, who was selec
to make an investigation of the canned
roast beef, was submitted
Dr. Bigelow visited Chicago, Kansas
City and Omaha with the court, and he
gave the result of his observations of and
experiments upon various samples of beef
used by the packing houses in canning.
DIR. BigeloY had been present when meat
was selected for canning, and he presented
numerous tables giving the results Oh his
investigations.
Describing the mode of preparing the
canned roast beef, DR.. Bigelow stated that
it was generally parboiled from eight to
twenty minutes before being placed in the
cans and afterwards was steamed for sew
cral hours. With the meat was generally
placed a quantity of soup liquor and often
salt and gelatine. AS to the food value
of the beef, DIR. Bigelow said he could
speak only from theoretical standpoint.
He had found this beef to contain more
p1 otein than the same quantity of fresh
beef, thirty ounces of the canned beef being
equivalent in this respect to 1883 ounces of
fresh beef
On the other hand there was a slight pro-
,nfA flo cit, lott
Considering that food for the muscles was
the great desideratum in the tropics, he
thought the canned beef would be a most
appropriate food.
should be Used With Fruits
1t should be used, however, in connection
with native fruits, rice or potatoes to sup
ply starch and it would be we'll to add beef
extract for stimulation. DR.. Bigelow was
present and was questioned by Colonel
Davis at length with the view of counter
acting the effect of the testimony of Drs.
Brady, Currie, Castle and others whose
testimony had declared that chemicals had
been used in the preservation of the meat
supplied to the army. The witness said
he had examined both the refrigerator and
canned roast beef and had found no evil
dence of the use of the preservatives in
either In reply to question detailing the
experiment by DIR. Currie for boracic acid
DR.. Bigelow said that the result reported
by Dr. Currie would indicate the absence
and not the presence of this acid. He had
never known of boracic acid and salfcylc
acids being used together and If they should
be so used upon food product the taste
would be so bitter that it would be soon
detected. He introduced some specimens
of fresh mixture of the two acids.
The first result in each case was to cause
the meat to assume a light, pinkish tinge
but after about twelve hours 1t resumed
practically its normal appearance. There
would be no odor. He said he had never
known formaldehyde to be used as a pre-
servative of meat, but that it was a pow
erful germiode.
Beef of Poor Cattle Used
AT the afternoon session Mr. Bigelow con-
tinued his testimony, undergoing an exam
ination at the hands of Major Lee. He con-
sidered beef extract a stimulant rather
than nutritive. The meat jeff after its
extraction, he said, would be nutritive as
the proteids would be left He said that
all of the meat canned in his presence was
selected by the Gamers, but they had no
notice Of his coming. 1t was all good meat.
but his information was that the beef of the
poorest cattle was used for canning.
Prof. John w. Mallet, professor of
chemistry at the University of Virginia,
was next examined at General Miles in
stance. He expressed the opinion that no
one on chemical analysis alone could de-
eide whether food was unwholesome or
wholesome. In determining the food value
OF a ration it was necessary to consider
its digestihility, capacity for absorption. Its
adaptablity to chemical changes and also,
secondarily, its palatability.
1t was necessary also to know the posi-
bility Of Injurious effects of any food ar
ticle upon the body. Considering all these
questions, DIR. Mallet did not believe the
canned beef supplied to the army in the
Spanish war proper article of food.