New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-24
ARMY investigations.

Inc character or the examination or Profes-
sor Clarke and Surgeon DAILY before the War
Investigation Commission makes II not unrea-
sonable to remind some Of the members of that
body that their function IS to discover truth
and not to act as counsel for the American
canning industry. No doubt patriotic clt-
zens would rejoice to know that all our beef
packers are honest and use no injurious chem
icals to preserve their products, but the Com
mission was not appointed by the President 10
give testimonials TO contractors When men,
| bers undertake 10 badger witnesses and ask
questions evidently intended to dlscredlt or
| diminish the significance Of testimony concern
| ing the finding Of deleterious substances in
meat. they offer an insult 10 the President of
the United States by multiplying his call to wit
pesses to tell what they know without fear
For an investigator to become an advocate IS
for him to impeach the good faith Of the Pres
| ident In starting the inquiry.
| We do not know whether or not the beef con-
tractors furnished unwholesome beef to the
| Army, and we have prejudice against the
| canning establishments. We hope, indeed, that
| they and their goods will be shown to deserve
| q good character. Even If one contractor did
| cheat, IT by no means follows that others did
| or that the quartermasters were not faithful.
| An invoice of adulterated goods might be
! pamed off On the most careful OF officers. But
| even if the reputation OF all the quartermasters
and contractors were involved, that fact would
not justify the methods employed in dealing
| with Surgeon Days evidence that one lot OF
| beef which he encountered contained borle and
salicylic acids. Surgeon DAILY found that he
was made Ill by canned beef, and as was natu
| raj with scientist tried 10 find out the cause.
| He remembered that he was affected much the
| same as when several years before he had
| been poisoned by salicylc acid He analysed
| a sample Of the beef and found boric and sail
| cylic acids All this was done in the ordinary
course of business, entirely apart from any
| thought Of scandal-so much so that the sur
geon did not gather witnesses at every stage
to prove that he did not get his sample from a
butcher and his acids at a drug store to impose
on the Commission. When the matter was
brought before the Commission, however some
| Of It's members seemed to take that view Of his
analysis. They wanted 10 discredit him by
taking the sample from him II he were not
10 be trusted. Then. when Professor Clarke re
ported the result of his analysis for the Com
mission, curious attempt was made to show
that the acids found In the middle of quarter
OF beef from which the whole outside had been
cut were absorbed from the chcesecloth cover
ing in contact with the outside decayed parts
that had been removed. Then General Beaver
t-iumphantly asked what evidence there was
| that the substance examined came from beef
and Professor Clarke, Of course. had none, since
the sample had been submitted TO him by the
Commission and Surgeon DAILY, and he knew
nothing himself Of its origin. After few more
questions General Beaver reJoiced ~ having
disposed Of" that complaint.
mil sio laar al hot horl M
sallcylic acids have no odor, and so disposed of
Surgeon Days testimony that the odor Of the
putrid meat suggested the presence Of these
acids. The evident intention was 70 suggest
that his testimony was worthless by drawing
attention TO this apparent Inconsistency. But
| as a matter of fact the Inconsistency was only
that of appearance due 70 the leading Of the
questions. Salicyc acid in fresh meat might
not be detected by odor but the products Of
It's putrefacton might have a characteristic
odor It Is commonly said that the decom-
position Of an embalmed body produces a diff
ferent odor from that of one receiving no
chemical treatment. Surgeon Daily, having had
while hunting experience with flesh which he
knew had had acid reatment, thought he recog
nized the signs in the beef before him. and
analysis shows he was right. Questions in
tended 20 prove that those acids could not have
besn detected by smell 10 not dispose Of" the
matter at all,
Sal;-ylic and boric acids have been found in
Surgeon Days sample. That may be fact OF
wide significance or not But II Is not fact
TO be treated by any Commissioner az lawyer
would treat a piece OF testimony which prom
ised to hurt his cl!eut. ssllcyl!c acid is CON-
mon and injurious preservatve much used IN
canned goods, as the Governments own reports
on food products show. II is not at all I'm