The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-23
THAT BAD BEEF.
Chemist Wiley Has Submit
ted His Report to Wilson.

Washington Jan. 22.--Chemist Wiley
of the department of agriculture has
reported to Secretary Wilson that an
examination of samples of canned
meats secured both in the open market
and from the war department to de-
termine the presence Of any chemical
personalities failed to disclose any
traces of borax, boracic acid sulphur
Gus acid, salicylic or benzoic acids The
presence of saltpetre was confirmed in
all the samples of canned corned beef,
but no trace of it was discovered in
the roast beef, though common salt was
present to a considerable extent.
The test was made under an order of
Secretary Wilson, and thirteen samples
were inspected, eleven purchased in
the open market and two obtained
from the war department OF the for
mer, eight from five different packing
houses were corned beef, two packed
by the Armour Canning Company Of
Chicago, and the Armour Packing Com
p9ny of Kansas City, were luncheon
beef, and the others samples roast
beef
the cans were in excellent preservation
and the surfaces of all the cans were
markedly concave, showing that no
decomposition had begun. This was al
so induced by the fact that when the
cans were opened there was an appre-
ciable influx of air, while in the pres
ence of even incipient decomposition,
the surfaces of the cans are usually
slightly convex, and on opening an
overflow of air may always be noticed.
I'm some kinds of preserved meats,
tendencies have been shown to the
, development of a class of body known
as ptomaines, poisonous alkaloidal
bodies resulting from the decay and
change of nitrogenouS materials in the
flesh. These ptomaines, of course, are
not developed in perfectly sterilized
packages, but may develop in those
which are imperfectly sterilized or
may develop in steriliZed packages
which are opened, but not eaten for
some time after exposure to the air. 1t
is, therefore, highly important that
! the packages have been thoroughly
sterilized; that they are in good con-
dition when opened, and that they are
consumed after being opened, without
any great delay.
1.-The cumulative examination of the
corned and luncheon beef showed that
the amount of saltpetre present was
| very small, varying from one-ffth or
one per cent to 145 hundredths of one
per cent. Only in two cases did the
amount exceed nine-Lenths of one per
cent The approximate amount or
| common salt used can be determined
very readily by the taste, and is natu-
| rally not greater than is desired by
consumers, nor than would be added in
| it's preparation in private families The
| percentage of salt present was not de-
| termined by analysis.
| ut is a matter of common Informal
| ton that in the preparation Of corned
| beef, salt and saltpeIre are always used
| whether it be in large packing house
or in a private family. Only pre-
| liminary examination has been made
for lead and tin in the contents of the
cans. The method employed was not
| sufficiently delicate to reveal mere ira
ces, but if these metals were present
| in a sufficient quantity for their exact
determination, it would indicate that
| fact So far as can be determined by
| chemical analysis, the samples of meat
examined were entirely appropriate for
use as food" In many instances the
tin inside the cans was dlscolored, but
careful microscopical examination
showed that the surface of the tin in
no instance was eroded.
| The chemical division is now con-
| Quoting an examination OF the tin sur
| faces in order to determine the amount
| of lead they may contain. The results
will be presented in supplemental re-
| port.
The report concludes as follows:
Preserved foods, especially meats, are
not to be preferred to the fresh articles
except in those cases where it is not
possible for the articles in fresh state
to be supplied. In the second place it
is highly important that some compe-
tent supervising agent be always pres
ent to inspect the packages when they
are opened in order to detect any fail
ure of complete sterilizing in their
preparation, or any evidences OF incip-
lent or advanced decay in their con-
tents. When these precautions are OBJ
served there is no reason to believe that
the ingestion of preserved meats as an
article of food, in proper quantities and
in properly balanced rations will in any
way interfere with the health or COM
fort of the person consuming them"