The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-06
Fat I'm the Cans Liquefied by Heat,
Thus Rendering the Food Dis
pleasing to the sight.
TESTIMONY OF DIR. S. a. CURRlE
SAYS THE REFRIGERATED BEEF
MADE THE SOLDIERS ILL.
some Of IL Analysed and Found to
Have been Preserved with Bora
cic and saIicyIic Acids.

WASHINGTON, April 5.-The two prime
cipal witnesses before the beef inquiry cour5
to-day were Prof Russell III. Chittenden. of
Yale University, and DIR. Samuel A. Currie.
who was lieutenant colonel OF the Second
New Jersey Regiment, which was stationed
at Jacksonville during the war. Professor
Chittenden is OF the chemists selected
by the government 10 analyZe the canned
roast beef. He presented his report showing
that the beef generally good. M
chemicals had been found by him In its
preparation. and it was generally whole-
some. He, however, expressed doubt tn
whether the heat OF the tropical climate
would not cause the fat IN the cans to liquefy
and thus render the food dspleasing 10 the
sight. Colonel Davis stated that most OF
the cans from which the samples were
taken for analysis had been exposed 20 tho
heat OF tropical countries. some OF the cans
being brought from Havana for the purpose
of the test. DIR. Currie testified that the
refrigerator beef supplied at Jacksonvills
had on some occasions made the men sick.
He had made chemical analyses OF the beef
which in one case showed the presence Of
salicylic acid and in another OF boracio
acid. Major Lee presented more of the cor
respondence between General Miles and thu
| court and put in a request on behalf OF the
| general that some OF the 100 witnesses whose
| names he had heretofore suggested be called.
saying that they would testify concerning
| refrigerator beef and chemically treated
beef The court did not indicate whether
| the request would be complied with.
Col. r. w. Huntington, OF the United
States Marine Corps. was the first Witness
He was in charge Of the detachment of
marines which made such a fine record at
Guantanamo. He said the health OF tho
troops while there good. varying with
the weather, depending largely, apparently
on the rainfall. There had been no com-
| plaint he said, concerning the food supply.
| about five-sevenths of the meat used being
refrigerator beef The beef was. however,
used almost Immediately after being taken
| from the ice box. No canned roast beef
was issued. He attributed the immunity of
his command from illness TO adequate food
and distilled water.
CANNED BEEF ANALYSIS.
| Prof. Russell II. Chittcnden, Of Yale Col<
lege to whom the court intrusted the anal-
| ysis of the canned roast beef of the various
| companies from whom the government had
made purchases of this article, gave the
| result of his examination, Colonel Davis
reading his report and also the instructions
| of the court TO him. The Instructions
| showed that cans of the roast beef prepared
by the Prairie Canning Company. the Ar
mOur Company and the Wilson Company
which had been exposed TO a tropical cii-
mate, were furnished 10 Prof. Chittenden-
| His report dealt largely with the chemical
methods employed, but the result was en-
tirely favorable TO the beef as a food prod
uct. He stated that he had made careful.
study Of the samples furnished, having an
of har ri ne xxff
fresh beef and devoting himself also to de-
termining the presence OF absence Of pre-
seryatives. He had, he said, found the cons
tents perfectly sweet and emitting the odor
always given out by cooked meat. in sons
cans the meat particles were large. whiis
i'm others they were not. The fat particles
were generally collected on side the
other of the cans. Notwithstanding the mear
had been placed In bottles and exposed 10
the warm air OF the laboratory. IL had re-
tanned its freshness for several days IL had
then developed mold, afterwards decompos-
! ing. In all the samples supplied the propor~
| ton OF fat and proteid was such as 10 bring
them into the range of good beef. Consid-
erable attention was given 10 the large
amount OF fat found on the surface of eacn
| can. which, as found by him, was always
| solid.
! tion that the fat melted at - degrees centi<
| grade or 1i3 Fahrenheit. and some I'm a
| lower temperature and that, once melted,
| II did not again solidify at a higher temper
ature than 36 centigrade. The presence of
the melted fat rendered II doubtful whether
the food suitable for tropical climate,
except under conditions where extreme heat
could be guarded against or where vegeta-
bles 10 be cooked with the meat are avail-
able. All the samples had shown the pres
ence OF gelatin. but careful tests had failed
to develop either boracic or salicyIic acid.
The specimens supplied by the Wilson Pack
ing Company. which were corned, showed
the presence OF salt or saltpeter. Some oc
the meats would give rise To the suspicion
that they might have been colored by ana
lyme dye. in the case OF sausage. Tests
had however, failed 20 show that such was
the case. 1t made evident that tho
meat was boiled rather than roasted. ON
this account there was a loss of some OF
the inorganic salts. and. therefore, some OF
its nutritive qualities. Still. there was suf-
fcient proteid in one can Of the beef To
sustain a man for two days.
Major Lee only entered upon a slight
croSs-examination OF the witness asking
time for the examination OF the report Ie
then arranged that Mr.. chittenden
could return next Tuesday for this CROSSE
examination.
HEARD LITTLE COMPLAINT
Lieut.. Col l. NJ. Maus. who as chief med-
teal officer OF the Seventh Army corps
served In various camps In the Southern
States during the Spanish war. said there
had been very little complaint concerning