The Anaconda standard., 1899-01-05
BEEF RAISED A BEARD
Hopkins Said It Didn't Hurt the
Meat Any.
GOOD FOR SICK SOLDIERS
The Unlocking Greenish Growth Could
Be Easily scraped Off-Fresh Beef
Condemned as an Article of
Diet for the Troops.

washington, Jan. 4.-MaJOf HOPKINS,
military aide to the secretary of war,
testified before the war investigation
commission regarding sanitary condi-
tions at the camps at Tampa, Camp AL
ger and Camp Thomas. 1t was the old
question of sinks, drainage and camp
police and the testimony of the witness
was little different from preceding wit
nesses. He had not approved of the
conditions at Camp Thomas and in ac-
cordance with his report an order was
issued on Aug. Is for its abandonment.
He knew Of no adverse report ever hav-
ing been made to the secretary of war
on Camp Alger. If there We're ever any
complaints they were merely individual.
He knew of no complaint as to any
camp that was not promptly inveSti-
gated
what action was taken, if any?"
well, for one instance, I was ap-
pointed with DR.. Reed to investigate
the condition of the hospitals. The sur
geon general told US to report daily and
he would act at once on our recommen-
dations.'
This ended Major Hopkins testimony.
Major Harrison, 9th volunteer infantry,
whose regiment was raised near New
Orleans and is now in service at San
commissary stores, he said those in the
United States We're the best that could
be bought in the open market. The re-
frigerated beef sent from this country
he said, was excellent He had much
experience with refrigerated meats and
he said that while there was some dis
position on tho part of the regimental
cooks to cavil at the appearance of the
meat, it was in reality quite good He
explained that the sudden change of
temperature on removing the meat from
the refrigerator ships produced what is
known as q beard a greenish growth
that had to be scraped off. When this
was done the meat beneath was perfect
ly good. 1t was issued ito the men with
excellent results and benefited the sick
materially. The chief trouble CAME
when the change was made to hoof cat
tie sent from Porto Rico. This beef
Major Harrison killed himself and per
sonally superintended its dressing and
cooling.
But 1T would not cool in that eli
mate he said very emphatically. THE
meat never lost its animal heat and
with it's use our sickness increased 10
per cent. In a country where our dead
purified in six hours. you will easily
understand that meat killed and eX-
posed to the atmospheric changes with
the attacks of flies. will spoil much
sooner Our board of survey had no
work to do except condemning and
burning this local killed beef
OF the canned meat Major Harrison
spoke with equal emphasis, saying it
was fully as good as the REFRIGERATOR
beef and that none of it had to be con-
demned. General Beaver asked if a. re-
frlgerating plant was esta Diisned there
whether Cuban beef could be killed on
the ground and rendered fit for use by
the men. Witness said he thought this
would not be desirable, as the Cuban
cattle, while fine looking, furnished the
coarsest and most stringy beef he had
ever seen. Witness said he was thor
oughly familiar with the processes of
refrigerating and butchering meat and
he was willing to state positively that
there We're no chemicals used in any of
the beef that passed under his observa-
tion On the contrary, he said that there
was no chemical preparation that could
be used on the meat with advantage to
the packers and without running the
product before they could get it to the
army. He regarded it as highly i'm
probable that anything of the sort had
been attempted. Recurring to the hoof
killed beef at Santiago witness said the
surgeons in charge attributed the 10
per cent. increase in intestinal sick
nesses to the use of fresh killed beef.
There was proportionate decrease in
sickness when the regiment returned to
refrigerator beef. Major Harrison said
he had no complaint to make as to med
zeal supplies or attendance. He consid-
cred the whole supply system good.