The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-01
Before Miles Was Invited to
Make Investigation.
BEEF is EMBALMED
Sometimes Before the Animal
is Slaughtered.
Proof of Use Of Chemical Pre-
servatives AbOunds.

| correspondent:
ITO what extent have the Chicago
| packers gone into the use OF chemicals
| for preserving meat?" is the question
| of the day. That many experiments
| have been made, either at the stock
yards or in private chemical labora-
tories for packers, is a matter Of gen
! eraI talk The preserving of meats Is
part of the up-to-date packers business
! and the packing interests in Chicago
amount to millions and millions or dol
lars a year.
The responsibility of the invention of
| representatives., ''preservatines," em-
balming fluids and 'antiseptic washes
is up to the makers of these compounds,
say the packers. Nothing but an Of
| fetal inquiry authorized by congress
or the state legislature will reach these
vendors and the packers as well.
THE SALICYLIC ACID FACTOR.
The closest inquiry more than points
the finger of suspicion to the use of
Geleterious compounds in the treatment
of meats in Chicago to preserve them
for shipping long distances.
|. SalicyIic acid, and the extent that it
enters in each and every compound
used on meat which is sold for human
consumption, whether it goes to the
army or is taken into the home Of any
citizen, will form the basis of a great
investigation. Salicylic acid is a pro-
duct of carbolic acid and is manufac-
tured by only two firms in the United
States. They are the Finck Medical
company of Milwaukee, and the Herr
& Freerichs Chemical company of st.
Louis. Both firms are large shippers to
Chicago, and part of their product sent
here finds it's way to the stock yards.
There its identity is lost or it's use given
into the hands of trusted employees.
Two large New York firms are i'm
porters of salicylic acid. They are
Merck & Co. and Schering & Glatz.
Their importations of salicylic acid
come to Chicago also, but several of the
Ia n C11 i'm hot Ia min
cipally sold for medicinal purposes and
a disinfectant.
MEAT Preventative MANUFAC-
TURERS.
Two firms exist in Chicago that make
a business OF furnishing a meat pre-
sentative and both are very much
disturbed al the attention that has been
directed toward all kinds of methods
of treating meat. These two firms are:
H. Heller Chemical company, West
Randolph and Canal streets, and the
Preventative Manufacturing company,
1873 Illinois street. a Chicago branch of
II Cedar street, New York city.
H. Heller, the head of the chemical
company of that name, exhibited con-
representative called at his office. In
response to a request for one of the
firms circulars, he said sharply: ''I
do not care to see any newspaper men,
under no circumstances. give one to
any paper"
why should you refuse to give out
a circular of your wares?"
That's my business"
do you make a chemical preserva-
tive for meat?"
yes"
Ibid you ever sell any of it to any
packing firm at the stock yards?"
IN THE BLUFFING HUMOR.
Who said ever sold any of my
stuff to packers? I'll make any man
prove that did who says so.''
Enf is ~ ~iv,cr
Did you ever sell any of your meat pre-
sentative to a stock yards firrn?'
II I did will keep it to myself"
Does salicylic acid enter in any form
into your preservative?"
Il won't answer that question"
"Why not?''
Because 1 do not feel like it, Say
continued the fiery Heller, Il can run
my own affairs as 1 please, 1 guess
Now, l want it understood that I am
not being interviewed by any paper, be-
cause do not want to be interviewed
don't want no advertisement for Moth
ing. When do L will pay for it. See!''
The Chicago manager of the Preser-
valine Manufacturing company is even
more prosperous looking than Heller.
Il do not wish to be mixed up in this
matter of meat personalities in any
way" said he Our main office is at
II Cedar street in New York. and there
you must apply for information"
DO you sell 'Preservaline' to the
stock yard packers %
mo"
DOESN'T SELL sALICYLIC ACID.
Does your product contain salicylic
acid?"
No"
What class OF trade do you deal
with2"
''Our trade is private one I must
decline to be interviewed" and the
manager; refusing to give his name, hur-
ried away.
Borax is used in large quantities by
bat
crecyi or evasion in securing the facts
at the offices of the two largest firms.
s. T. Mather, manager of the Pacific
Coast Borax company. 253 Kinzie street,
Chicago, said: Our firm sold to diff
ferent packers at the stock yards last
year between 5000 and 1000 tons of
boracic acid and borax. 1t must be I'M
derStood that the acid is the crude pro-
duct while what is known as 'borax' is
the refined article. We have sold borax
to Chicago packers for the past Is years
but not in such large quantities. One
of the principal uses for borax is the
curing of hams, and when packed in
borax these can be sent around the
world without injuring what is known
mild cure %
do you know of the use of borax
with regard to preserving meat?"
'Only to the extent of from " to 1
per cent solutions of boracic acid for
dip for beef. This acid has fine antisep-
tic qualities, is tasteless and harmless
in small quantities"
DOESN'T KNOW OF ANY EXPERT
MENTS.
do you know of any experiments at
the stock yards by which a solution of
boracic acid was injected into the veins
of live cattle for the purpose of preserv-
ing the meat after the animal had been
slaughtered"
At the Office Of Theodore Thorki1sen
g. Co., 2 and LaSalle avenue, whole
sale dealers in borax, it was stated that
their sales w ko