The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-23

| its character He found that the meat
was apparently boiled beef, it probably
had been boiled before 1t was sealed
in the can, and somewhat after. There
was in the can quite quantity OF
common salt, and also nitrate of pot
| ash, called saltpetre. These preserva-
tives, said the Witness must have been
| In the can befores the boiling was COM
plete, because it had saturated the fiber
| of the meat and hardened it.
| In his report to the gentleman who
brought him the meat the witness stat
ed this was the great objection to cam
| ned meat; it should be cooked without
soning should be placed in it or on it
after the cooking is complete. The
character of the meat in his judgment
was low grade. Two of the cans con-
tanned but a very small quantity of
muscular tissue, which Is the nutritious
| portion of the beef.
| The examination was continued by
| the boiling of the meat to see how
| much beef extract could be taken from
| four pounds of it; the amount pro-
duced was SO small it was not percept-
lble; it was not enough even to be used
as a culture medium in experiments in
bacteriology.
| With reference to the examination of
fresh beef, the witness said that at
three different times there were brought
to him pieces of what seemed to be or
binary meat from the markets, which
| evidently had been kept for some time,
presumably in refrigerator.
| i found salt in a very small guam
tity,' said DR.. Murdoch, land some of
the meat was coated with boracic acid.
In other specimens 1 found that they
had been coated with a preparation of
salicylic acid for preserving the meat.
l gave the opinion that salicylic acid
was not only detrimental to digestion,
but produced nausea. Boracic acid,
while in itself not nauseating. delays
the process of digestion. and hence is
not a fit preservative for meat used as
| a diet. l understood this to be refrig-
] orator beef; found boracic acid in two
specimens and saIicylic acid in one.
These experiments were made about
the middle of June, 1885,"
Colonel Davis: Had it any connec-
ton with the Government?
I don't know that it did,
Was it delivered to you by anyone
connected with the Government? Had
he contract relations with the United
States?''
I don't know that he had"
In connection with your duty as Of
| ficer of the Health Department, what
have you found to have been the prac-
tice among the butchers of Chicago as
to the use of preservatives?"
They don't use preservatives very
much. For certain classes of meat
they use some preservatives, in fresh
beef there is not much need for pre-
servatives. Meat that has been kept
for time and exposed once or twice
becomes slightly tainted, and that is
frequently removed with bicarbonate OF
soda and sometimes by dipping pieces
of meat into a hot solution and then
placing it Immediately back in the re-
! frigerator''
Were either samples rendered you
by any one connected with a packing
house?"
I was not at liberty to inquire into
that matter; L was simply consulted as
a scientist on that subject"
Had you any occasion to think or
| suspect that they came from a pack
| ing house?"
Well, don't believe a scientific man
is expected TO go into those suppose BILE
things
General Davis: 'In what quantities
did you find chloride of sodium and
sa1tpetre in the canned beef YOU ex-
| amined?"
I did not make quantftative analy-
sis, but there was a large amount
| more than ordinarily used in cook
ing"
DR.. Murdoch, in reply to questions
by Major Lee, said: II can see how a
coating of some preservatives could de-
lay the tainting on the outside of the
meat II it was exposed to the sunshine
In moist climate and a low altitude
Ii something Of that kind is not used
L cannot see how meat can be kept a.
great length of time in a moist eli
mate And if that outside coat was
cut away it would not affect the value
of the meat as a ration"
How long would refrigerator beef
that had been refrigerated a consider
able length of time keep after it had
been removed from the refrigerator in
a hot climtae and low altitude with
out any artificial coatfng?"
My opinion is that it could not keen
more than a few hours-for eight
hours
Have you ever found horse flesh put
up in cans and sold on the market here
in Chicago?"
Not put up in cans, but I have had
samples brought to me purporting to be
fresh beef from the market. and have
found some of these samples to be
horse flesh instead of beef. 1 had no
means Of knowing whence they came.
An investigation with the result once
led the Health Department to suppress
an establishment in the outskirts of
Chicago
William J. Griffin, Sergeant of Com
pany F, acting Sergeant Major of the
Second Battalion. testified that at Jack
sonville the refrigerated beef had to
be frequently rejected; it looked good.
but When cut open it had a peculiar
odor, a nausea stencil On one occa-
sion French beef stew was served
and Immediately thereafter the entire
company was taken violently sick with
vomiting and diarrhea- For two weeks
afterward three men out of the COM
pany was the maximum fit for duty.
WITHIN six weeks three men died, and
although the records showed they died
from fever, witness said he knew that