The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-01-07
A Report Bearing ON the "Embaimed
Beef" Matter.

Washington, Dec. 31.-The war in
vestigation co-hmission has made pub
lie Il report, omitted in the statement
above, bearing on the beef controversy.
1t is from Maj. W. II. Daily, chief sur
geon at army headquarters at Tampa
prior to the sailing of the Shafter ex-
petition, and is as follows:
'Washington, Sept. q. 1S9S.-To the As
sistant Adjutant General, Headquarters
of the Army, Washington: Sir-l have the
honor to report in the interests OF the
service that in the several inspections l
made in the various camps and troop
ships at Tampa, Jacksonville, Chickamau-
gu and Porto Rico, that | found the
fresh beef to be apparently preserved
with secret chemicals, which destroy its
natural flavor, and which | also believe
to be detrimental to the health OF the
troops.
the army at Tampa, at the head of the
embarkation of the Shafter expedition,
Col. Weston, the efficient chief commits
sary, showed me a quarter OF beef that
had already, as a test, been 20 hours in
the sun without being perceptlbly talnt-
ed, so far as the sense of smell could
detect. 1t is impossible 20 keep frssA
climate without the USE. of deleterlous
personalities, such as boric acid or nj
trate of potash injected into 1t in quaint.
IltS likely u Dt lul L nv Obl1 ~
the consumer. At Ponce much of the
beef arriving on the transport from the
United States was also of the same cnar-
acter, being apparently preserved by IN,
jected chemicals TO aid deficient cold
Where efficient cold storage is impos-
sibie transporting beef alive IS the meth
cd that should receive the fullest consld-
Grafton by the government as being safest
for the health of the consumer. When
detailed to axe charge of the transport
Panama for conveying conva!escrnts l"
the United States | obtained 2,t"p pounds
/ of fresh beef from the cOInmlSSIFy at
Ponce. 1t looked well, but had an odor
similar to that of a dead human body
after being injected with preServativeS
land tasted. when first cooked, like de-
ecompOSed bodies; after standing Il day
ffor further inspection 1t became so bit
ter, nauseouS and unpaiatable as 10 De
quite impossible for use.
II was, therefore, obliged, owing to the
..fcondition, and the complaints of the sick
about the disgustingly sickening odor II
emitted when being cooke and the
mawkish. flat taste when served. and the
eafety of the patients, 30 convaleScent
tsldIers on board, to organize a board OF
S ~-vey, condemn and throw 1.50O poePds.
awe had, overheard, consequently the
~convaleScents Were entirely without much
needles fresh beef, making the duty OF
br;nginsAthe men to the United States
in an improved condition a very dif1cult
matter.
I'm my inspection of the Fourth United
States volunteer infantry at Jacksonville.
recently, / observed the same odor and
taste upon the fresh beef, but not so
marked, and at the camp of the Sixth
United States volunteer infantry at Chick
amauga, | also, at several inspections:
observed it markedly. l there inspected
a lot of beef just issued to that regiment,
and while il looked well, was of a sicken-
ing odor, like a human body dead of dis
ease and injected with personalities, and
when cooked was quite u~npalatable. con-
SeQuently likely to prove an efficient
cause of ill-health. The men complained
of it's insipid and mawkish flavor that
high seasoning could not conceal.
Relieving 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 b..
experts, making a quantitative and quail
tative chemical analysis of tine several
conservatives suspected to be used by
getting samples of beef furnished for ex-
port to Cuba and Porto Rico.
IF the question arises that a report
should have been made by me earlier, i
beg to say that l have e~ndeavored with
ali my opportunities to first inform my
self by observation of the conditions
above noted sufficiently to warrant my
drawing the attention of the adjutant
general at headquarters of the army to
the matter. Very respectfully,
Major and Chief Surgeon, U. S, W