The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-01
HALF 4 DOZEN hENGS
Are the Principal Witnesses
Before the Beef Court.
PAIR OF H0OF-BEEF MEN
So Testify as to Bring Dis
credit Upon Eagan.
PAIR OF HOOF-BEEF MEN

| medical STAN, VINO were in service in Cuba
during the Spanish war. The other two
witnesses were Mr.. George II. Giddings
and General J. Hale Sypher. who had
been interested in securing contracts for
| supplying beef on the hoof and on the
block for the army in Cuba They testi-
| fed that General Eagan had told them that
the secretary of war had asked him 10
/ give the refrigerator beef a trial, while
| Mr.. Sypher said that General Eagan had
created the impression upon him that he
/ preferred beef on the block to refrigerator
! beef. Their testimony throughout was con-
Trajectory to General Eagan's testimony.
d, Mr.. Giddings said that Congressman Haw-
| ley was present at several Of his confer
| ences with General Eagan. majority
| OF the army surgeons expressed the op!n-
ion that the canned beef was unsatisfac-
tory as food for the troops, but some OF
| them thought 1t no more harmful than
| other meat. in the Cuban climate
The forenoon session Of the board opened
with number of officers of the medical
corps Of the army present who had been
summoned as witnesses Colonel Charles
r Greenleaf, chief medical inspector Of
the army, who was the chief surgeon in
the field during the Spanish war and who
was with General Miles IN Porto leo, was
the first called to testify. He said that
while in Cuba on his way to Porto Rico
he had been able TO give no attention
to the food supply of the troops but while
in Porto Rico he had looked into the ques-
ton Of food to a certain extent, but only
incidentally. He then heard of no COM
plants except as to the character of Che
cooking. His attention had not been
brought TO any complaints concerning
either the canned or refrigerator beef
He had eaten some of the canned roast
beef and did not relish it. 1T was not
pleasant to the sight ne said. land it was
mawkish TO the taste without condiments
such as salt and pepper"
In reply TO the question as TO what ef-
feet the use of this meat as food would
have upon the health of troops, DR.. Green
Leaf said: THE effect Of its use would be
similar to the use of all canned meats.
If good, and prepared with condiments
and vegetables and not used too much, it
might be eaten without detriment. If
spoiled, 1T would produce sickness, OF,
probably, If used steadily the system
would not accept it. 1t would, If used
daily and without condiments or veget-
ables. pail on the appetite and at last
would revolt against it, He had found
that in the hot climate OF Porto Rico the
meat did not keep long when opened. He
had not taken the food question into &C
count in connection with the health of the
the climate.
Colonel B. r. Pope, chief surgeon Of the
Fifth army corps in the Santiago cam
paign. testified concerning the food sup
ply Of the campaign. The hard bread he
found good and the canned egetables gen
orally so. The canned beef, "wrongfully
labeled roast beef" he did not speak of in
such high terms. I'VE accepted II as a
part Of the ration and ate IL as wen as we
could; but It was unsatisfyin in appear
ance and entirely lacking in flavor II
was also stringy and tough and in some
cases it decomposed, causing the cans con-
tanning IT TO swell I also noticed that II |
deteriorated rapidly after being exposed |
to the air. The great trouble seemed 70 !
be the lack of facilities for cooking the |
beef It was not so bad IN the form Of |
stews or hash as when eaten. as II was |
necessary it should be used by the soldiers !
in the field, without cooking Taken in 1
that way il was very unsatisfying diet. |
I tlooked Ike beef from which beef tea |
had been made. II has struck me Eince /
that the nutritive qualities Of the beef /
were extracted in boiling. and my persona, /
opinion IS that as food. II was a low order 4
OF nutritive value. II was a very trying
food unless eaten with the eyes shut The /
roast feature Of IL was all in the label
not in the can"
He had been unable 70 trace any special !
diseases TO the food used In Cuba. but he
thought that the use u the canned beef
would tend to weaken men and cause dis
ease. Upon the whole. ne would not ad-
wise the use Of beef for food IN the t-opic-
and he thought the bacon ration would
have been better. The refrigerated beef
DR.. Pope pronounced good The troons
had been compelled 20 trim Of s1ofIed I
parts. but after this was done ana The
meat nicely cooked. q was very palstsbls
and nutritious. Most ~ the canned Beef
used AZ Santiago bore the Il oei OF the VII
son Packing company
Major Louis A. Ia GarSe, in command
ct the reserve hospital at siboney. stated
that the canned roast beef had been FIR
nished a his table az the hospital and -
the patients Il was not especially fond
OF IT," he said. ''bts As substitute 3,
took the place II fresh beef. When We
could cook :; with vegetables u was Ear
more palsta5le than otherwise TIE pa
tents IN Tire hospital used tire earned I
meat regularly and there was no especial
complaint about n. There was consider
able 6isrrheoa. however. and & was asle
20 this ard other meats. The ration ron-
tanned more meat than 81 should have csn-
taiae8 for food "A that climate
Dr.. LaEzrds ADDED later that Be ID
not believe the Canned besf rad heea any
more harmful n causing dLsesss taaa
would any other meat In eztinx X 4
was nutritious" he Sz95 "Tet Il wzz
ratfe- fasgsiszs.- Ire refrigerator b~es
was generally satizfactorTs sss: - rad
noticed CT SINE occas On. q greer scu-a
On ms besf and ths physicians had 10
iced n = fe< .nsta=ces ina. disrrhs~a
seemed 70 follow is Ese- Yst. waslezoze
fresh osef U0ul5 have ths sane eject
Captain ". w ireland. ws5 wzE srsrz-
tive orosr AZ ne sl5o-sT reserve aasg-
tai. conSl5sre1 The earned bssf - c1zrAs
grade a bel greasy and uaeccsusaeis %
ne s1gat Or TASTE. 1laaY q re Esa
that ~ ase cSzEes aza=-z AID
Intestinal troshlsz He coaEsas-ed 4 Prob
zas rat TIE u<@ q - bess had -
,0z 31csve % tvpa7sd fever TIE rpsrT-
.Tzte5 ~ va also repslKlvs 70 tns
.ssts
MaSar Heary Z. zgghorz. zaas was cA.es