The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-01
1ALGER GAVE THE ORDERS
Told Eagan to Give Refrigerated
Beef Trial.
MEDICAL MEN TESTIFY
The Canned Roast Beef Was UNIT for
Food-The Cause of Sickness-The
Beef Packers Used Pre-
sentative.

Washingto ton, March 31-All but two
witnesses before the army inquiry court
to-day were members of the medical
staff who We're in service in Cuba dur
ing the Spanish war. The other two
witnesses We're George H. Geddinss and
General Sypher who had been interest
ed in securing contracts for supplying
beef on the hoof and on the block for
the army in Cuba. They testified that
General Eagan had told them that the
secretary of war had asked him to give
the refrigerator beef a trial, while Mr.
Sypher said that General Ea gan had ere
ated the impression upon him that he
preferred beef on the block to refriger-
ated beef. Their testimony throughout
was contradictory to General Eagan's
testimony. Mr. Giddings said that
Congressman Hawley was present at
several of his conferences with General
Eagan.
A majority of the army surgeons ex-
pressed the opinion that the canned
beef was unsatisfactory as food for the
troops, but some of them thought it no
more harmful than other meat in the
Cuban climate.
Al the forenoon session of the board
the first witness was Colonel Charles R.
Greenleaf, chief medical inspector in
the army, who was with Miles in Porto
Rico. The witness had tasted the canned
beef.
1T was not pleasant to the sight" he
said and it was maWkSh to the taste
without condiments, such as salt and
paper. The constant use of this article
was not good for the troops
Colonel B. F. Pope, chief surgeon
Fifth army corps, in the Santiago cam
paign, disliked the canned roast beef
TT was stringy, tough, lacking in flavor
and unsatisfactory in appearance 1t
was very trying food unless eaten with
the eyes shut"
Pope said the refrigerator beef was
good.
Major Legarde who was in command
of the reserve hospital at Siboney.
stated he was not fond of the canned
beef
However, as substitute, it took the
place of fresh beef. 1t was more palata-
BILE when cooked with vegetables than
otherwise"
The witness said there was consider
able diarrhoea in the hospital. He att
tributed this to the use of too much
meat. The ration contained more meat
than should have been the case for a
hot climate.
DR.. Lagarde added later that he did
not believe the canned beef had been
any more harmful in causing disease
than would any other meat. In eating
it was nutritious, he said, yet it was
rather tastelesS.
The refrigerator beef was generally
satisfactory, but he had noticed on
some occasions a green scum on this
beef and the physicians had noticed in
a few instances that diarrhea seemed
to follow its use. Yet, wholesome, fresh
beef would have the same effect.
Captain M. w. Ireland, who was
executive officer at the Siboney reserve
hospital, considered the canned beef "a
coarse grade of beef greasy and unac-
ceptable to the sight or taste" Many
of the men complained that it's use
caused nausea and intestinal trouble. He
considered it probable that the use of
the beef had been conducive to typhoid
fever The refrigerator beef was also
repulsive to the taste.
Major Henry L. Kilhorn. who was
chief medical officer of General Law
tons division a. Santiago, said he had
found the refrigerator beef generally in
good condition. He had found it neces-
sary to reject one-quarter only of it a
the division hospital He did not at
tribute the sickness in Cuba to any of
the food and especially not to the re-
frigerator beef
Captain Ashton B. Heyl. chief surgeon
of the rough riders brigade in the Sam
tiago campaign, the first witness at the
afternoon session, testified to being
made sick on three different occasions
by eating canned roast beef and on one
occasion several others who partook of
the meat also became very i'll. After
this experience he had found piece of
bacon lying by the roadside. This he
had taken up, cleaned and cooked and
had found it very palatable. This meat