Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-01-05
A Report Bearing on the "Embalmed
Beer Matter.


Washington, Dec. 31.-The war in
vestigation commission has made pub
lie report, omitted in the statement
above, bearing on the beef controversy.
1t is from Maj. w. H. 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-I have the
service that In the several Inspections !
made In the various camps and troop
ships at Tsampa 9a JACK ChiEk 5d ahs
fresh beef to be apparently preserved
with secret chemicals. which destroy its
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
had already. as test. been so hours in
the sun without being perceptibly faint
ed, so far as the sense of smell could
beef so long untainted in the sun in that
climate without the use of deleterious
preservatives. such as boric acid or nj
trate of potash injected into it in Quanti-
ties likely to be hurtful to the health of
the consumer. At Ponce much of the
United States was also of the same char
acter. being apparently preserved by in
jected chemicals to aid deficient cold
where efficient cold storage is impos-
sible transporting beef alive is the meth
cd that should receive the fullest consid-
GRAFTON by the government as being safest
for the health of the consumer. When
detailed to take charge of the transport
Panama for conveying convalescentS to
the United States L obtained 1000 pounds
of fresh beef from the commissary at
similar to that of a dead human body
after being injected with personalities,
and tasted, when first cooked. like de-
composed bodies: after standing a day
for further inspection 1t became so bit
ter, nauseous and unpalatable as to be
quite impossible for use.
81 was, therefore, obliged, owing to the
condition. and the complaints of the sick
about the disgustingly sickening odor 1t
mawkish, fiat taste when served, and the
safety of the patients 225 convalescent
soldiers on board to organize "a board OF
all we had, overheard, consequently the
convalescents were entirely without much
bringing the men to the United States
in an improved condition very difficult
s'In my inspection of the Fourth United
States volunteer infantry at Jacksonville.
recently, 1 observed the same odor and
marked. and at the camp of the Sixth
United States volunteer infantry at Chick
amauga, / also, at several inspections,
observed it markedly. 1 there inspected
a lot of beef just issued to that regiment.
and while it looked well, was of sicken-
ing odor, like a human body dead of dis
ease and injected with personalities, and
when cooked was quite unpalatable. 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.
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 quail
tatfve chemical analysis of the several
preservatives 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 I have endeavored with
all my opportunities to first inform my
self by observation of the conditions
drawing the attention of the adjutant
general at headquarters of the army to
the matter. Very respectfully.
ssnEaior ord CbJaf C,,rraor q