Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-23

| not fit preservative for meat used as
| diet. l understand this to be refrig-
Grated beef. found boracic acid in two
specimens and salicylic acid in one.
These experiments were made about
the middle of June. 1885,
Col Davis-"Had it any connection
With the government
Il don't know that it had"
WAS it delivered to you by any one
connected with the government? Had
,e contract relations with the United
States?"
Il don't know that he had"
I'm connection with your duty as Off
GER of the health department what
nave you found to be the practice
lmong the butchers of Chicago as to
the use of personalities"
They don't use preservaticves very
much. For certain classes of meat they
use some classes of personalities. In
fresh beef there is not much need for
conservatives. Meat that has been
Kept for a time and exposed once or
vice becomes slightly tainted and that
traint is frequently removed with BIZ
carbonate of soda. and sometimes by
dipping pieces of meat into hot solu-
ton and then placing it Immediately
back in the refrigerator. a hot solution
Of boracic acid which simply coats the
outside will remove the faint from
meat
Were either of these samples ten
dered you by any one connected with
a packing house,?
Il was not at liberty to inquire into
the matter: l was simply consulted as
"A scientist on that subject"
Had you any occasion to think or
suspect that they came from IA packing
house,
We'll, I don't believe IA scientific man
is expected to go into those suppoSalS
of things"
Gen. Davis-"In what quantities did
you find chloride of sodium and salt
netre in the canned beef you ex-
amined?"
Il did not make a cumulative analy-
sis but there was a large amount. more
than ordinarily used in cooking"
Dr. Murdoch. in reply to questions by
Major Lee, said II can see how a
coating of some preventative could de-
lay the tainting of the outside of the
meat if it was exposed to the sun
shine in moist climate and a low alti
tude. If something OF that kind is not
used | cannot see how meat can be
kept great length of time in d moist
climate. And if the outside coat was
cut away it would not affect the value
of the meat as Il ration,
How long would beef that had been
refrigerated Il considerable length of
time keep after ii had been removed
from the refrigerator in a hot climate
and a low altitude without any artifi-
cal cooing?"
MY opinion is that it could not keep
more than few hours-six or eight
hours
Have you ever found horse flesh put
up in cans and sold on the market here
in Chicago"
Not put UP in cans, but | have had
samples brought TO me purporting to
be Fresh beef from the market and
have found some of these samples TO be
horse flesh instead of beef | had no
means of knowing whence they came.
An investigation with that result once
led the health department to suppress
an establishment in the outskirts Of
Chicago
VIM. j. Griffin, sergeant Co. +. acting
| sergeant major of the I'd Battalion tes-
titled that at jacksonville the refriger-
| ated beef had to be frequently rejected:
| il looked good. but when cut open it
| had a peculiar ordor, a nauseOus
| strench. On one occasion fresh beef
stew was served and Immediately there
| after the entire company was taken
| violently i'll with vomiting and diar
| rhoea. For two weeks afterwards. 81
| men out of the company was the
| maximum number fit for duty Within
| six weeks three men died and although
| the records showed they died from
| fever. witness said he knew that the
| sickness from this meat was what
| killed them. The meat had to be
| brought 2ls miles from the point of is
| sue. which took about half an hour. An
| investigation was made of the beef
| which made the company sick but with
| what results witness could not say.
DR.. John G.. Bruno of Chicago. who
| was assistant surgeon of the I'd Illinois
| Volunteers. while the regiment was at
| jacksonville. stated that he had con-
| demned the refrigerated beef several
| times before it left the wagon which
brought it, He had also returned some
of it to the cars and had told the agent
of Swift & Co that he could not use it.
| He had refused the meat seven times
in one month on account of the bad
odor and bad taste. The men com
planned bitterly that they could not eat
it.
| Col. Davis" Had you reason to be-
li@ve or suspect that the Swift refriE-
orator beef had been chemically treat
ed with view to it's preservation?
"rhat had never been suggested to
me but it occurred to me when | used
it, The only ground had for that
belief was the difference in its taste
and it's appearance after it had been
removed from the ear. 1t had dead
| ened peculiar appearance. and ] Won
dered whether any chemicals had been
used
Are you able to say that this APP
pearance was not due simply to ad-
vancing decomposition?
II would not like to say that l dc
, not believe | can define the vague idea
that came into my mind. l attributed
considerable of the sickness to tainted
beef
Col. O. NJ Smith. army purchasing