The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-19
AMERICAN PORK ABROAD.
FHB NEW LAW WOW UNDER CONSID-
GRAFTON IN GBRNIHT.

at present occupied In framing a law. which 1
not only OF great Importance 10 Germany. but
innHmuch az IT. will directly affect German
American commerce. IL Of special interest e
the United STATES also. The bill in its fna
shape viii perhaps demand Tint all domestic
and imported pork. canned meats excepted
shall be- subjected 70 microscopic inspection
and II game Importance from the fact that In
matters OF public hygiene, Germany furnishes
the.criterionJor the Continent. and that meas
ures adopted by her are. sooner or later. In
corporated in the legislation.ot Austria. Bel.
GUM. Holland and Switzerland.
Aside from its influence on American trade,
this law involves two other important issues
one local and financial the other internn-
tional and scientific. Germany already ON
ploys for meat inspection a staff Of &c. 900 mi
erosoope experts. Should ths debate In the
Bundesrath have the anticipated results. the
number Of officials employed in this way
will have to be doubled. which. with tho
German system Of. pensioninE the civil as
we'll as the military service. will necessitate
an enormous.addition to the expenses OF the
Government In this department. The Sec
ond point. which does not seem to have been
generally appreciated. 10 that this law must
take into consideration the contest between
the scientific men OF Germany whose work is
mainly theoretical. and the ~scientiac mon OF
America. whose work lie practical. with re-
RlTu 10 inc efficacy Ol.Jn6 meLnOUt, IN the TWO
countries. OF dealing with the.problems of.pub-
lilo health. for should the law definitely insist
on the German methods OF inspection OF all
meats. It would be equivalent. on.the part OF
She Government. to pronouncing officially
against tho American curing system.
In order to understand the case as It now
lies before . the Bundesrath It will be well.to
take u short review Of the troubled history OF
American pork in this country. The data for
ehta -ara fn rr,aba1 hv n narlip apanIa1Iar yrhn
90 q colleague Of the German scientific mon
and q friend Of DR.. Stiles. the scientific At
taoh6 tc' the American Embassy here. has
good opportunity OF knowing both sides of the
case. Ea.rly in the sixties an illness. which
up to that time had been COMPOUNDED with
typhoid fever and other complaints, was
finally trileed ny German specialists to a tiny
worm. the trichina. which was taken into the
system by eating pork. To protect the pub
lilo against the disease. which was named
Griohinosis. m,ny cities In Germany introduced
q system Of microscopic inspection OF hogB
Immediately ar:er slaughter.
Several years after this parasite had been
discovered in German .meat some American
packers began TO export pork to Germany.
This innovation was. o: course. most unwel-
come to German competitors. who we're not
slow to And out that American meat also was
infected by the trichina. whose name alone
was, by this time. enough to cause n panic.
This discovery furnished to the AgrarisnB an
arRumen with the Government against the
imported meats. which they did not hesitate
to use. No definite steps were taken at that
time. however. and evidence was soon forth
coming that cases OF trichinosis were fire.
quently caused by fresh German meat. but
never by imported American pork. The
American Government and some of the Ger
man exports quickly recognized this fact and
found the EXPLANATION in the American curing
methods, which were conceded to he moro ef-
iective than the German system Of microscopic
inspection. which is at best only a partial guar
antee of immunity from trichinp. The fact
that one muscle Of the animal under inspection
IS not affected il no proof that others are
equally free from parasites. while the curing
process DESTROYS them throughout the sys-
tenn. In the face Of this truth. however. the
Agrariars succeeded. in 1883. in excluding
American pork from Germany. and Germany's
example was QUICKLY followed by restrictive
Legislation in other countries Of Europe. 1t
was not until 1S9l that the United States were
able to secure the removal Of this prohibition.
and then only on tho condition.that American
meat.should be microscopically inspected be-
fore expectation. In order to distinguish the
pork intended for Germany from that to be
shipped to England. Belgium. Holland and
elsewhere special certificates wore issued.
In spite of these precautions the Germans
soon pretended again to have discovered tri-
china in American meat. The Agrarians i'm
mediately asserted themselves anew and sue
eeeded through their press in prejudicing the
public agalnst.the American imports to such an
extent that mary towns and cities in Germany
introduced even severer laws than those OF the
general Government. regarding American
goods, and some went 30 far as to exclude
them altogether. The Agrarians set at work
90 ferret out all cases where there was the
-
lean pork. and frequently reported epidemics
alleged to be due to this source. This was the
state OF things a year ago. The1presence of
trichinR naturally reflected on the American
official inspection. the public was strongly pref
udiced against American pork. some news |
papers.even asserted that trichinosis was the
usual result Of eating American pork. and the
ARrarian' press demanded that.it be excluded
from the German market, This attitude was,
OF course. Immediately felt by American OK
porters and German importers. and both Gov
0rnments soon realized that tho matter must /
be Investigated. Accordingly DR.. Stiles, znol- |
ogist Of the United States Department OF ARri- |
culture. was sent m.Washington as scien-
tino attache to the Embassy OF Berlin. The
American Government was fortunate in having
at its disposal q man 80 peculiarly fitted for the
place. DIR. Stiles has made a more thorough
study of trichinosis. especially with a view to
public health. than probably any other man.
He is perfectly familiar with German litera-
eure on this subject. knows tho country and
people.well and has tho advantage OF being a
personal friend OF many OF the German special
lists In this line.
Case after case Of trichinosis. ascribed to
American pork. was found by him to be direct
~ attributable to European meat. The Ger
man importers took courage from these dis
coveries and formed a society. which offered a
reward OF 900 marks for the first case which
could be definitely traced to American meats.
The public was astonished by this daring move,
but as six months have passed since it was
made and no ono has as yet been able to bring |
forward such a case. popular opinion has, in
spite of the Agrarians. been obliged:to cha nge.
This party. In order to meet the action OF the
German importers. published simultaneously
In many OF its newspapers a statement to tho
effect that after recent careful Investigation II |
had bean finally damnnatratad tLnt 20 nar |