Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-29
SECRETS OF THE SAUSAGE
City Veterinarian Finds that Diseased Meat
is Being Sold.
CONSUMERS UNAWARE OF THE PRACTICE
Rigid Inspection and severe Penalties
Are Proposed in order that the
Public May Have Proper
Protection.

Beef impregnated with tuberculosis, pork
from hogs afflicted with hog cholera, meats
from the carcasses OF cattle, hogs and sheep
which have died of disease or have been
killed when afflicted with disease are some
OF the wares that Omaha butchers are SELL
ing to consumers in this city. So City Vet
erinarian and Meat Inspector Ramacciotti
declares and because Of his belief in this
condition Of affairs he is about ready to
submit to the city council an ordinance
whereby the sale Of such meats will be i'm
possible in the future.
"a few days ago obtained
trace OF a man who was. trying
to sell the carcasses OF two hogs
which were plainly affected by hog chol-
era, indicated by red spots.' says the
veterinarian, 81 tried to And this man. but
failed. I have little doubt that he succeeded
in disposing Of the meat and that 1t was ul-
timately sold to omaha consumers. because
l have quite often confscated as badly dis
eased meats that l have found in the
butcher shops OF the city on sale"
Sometimes diseased meat will be bought
by a butcher because he does not know that
1t is diseased; In many cases 1t is bought
because It is cheap. In the former case the
city veterinarian frequently detects it and
confscates It.; in the latter. the butcher dis
poses OF the meat as quickly as possible
either in dts original form to private con-
sumers or to the cheap chop houses Of the
city or in the shape Of sausage or other
form. City Veterinarian Ramacciotti says
that there Is no way under the present or
dinance whereby this practice can be wholly
stopped.
Method of Introduction.
There are two ways in which this dis
eased meat is generally introduced In the
city. A farmer or some other owner may
have on hand some stock that. dies or Is
about to die. In the latter case he kills It
He flaws the carcass. dresses 1t and then
~disposes of 1t to the city butcher. Other
| diseased meat comes from a broker" who
makes a practice Of buying stock rejected
at tho stock yards and of buying dead or
diseased animals from their owners. These
animals are also fayed, dressed and sold.
This business ds quite extensive. says the
city veterinarian.
Attempts have been made to stop these
| butchers. Men have been arrested for sell
ing diseased meat. but the ordinances of
the city are not sufficient to result in con-
vict!on. Other men have been arrested for
buying diseased animals and selling them
to butchers. but they have claimed that
they bought the animals only for their
hides and did not sell the meat, although In
many cases there Is a moral, II not a legal
certainty, that they did sell the meat for
consumption.
To put ar eud to such a condition of
affairs the city veterinarian proposes to es-
tablish a public abattoir. This Is to be
run by contract by the city. Here every
particle of meat Is sold in the city, except
such as passes through the packing houses
and therefore is marked with the stamp OF
the government inspector, must come in on
the hoof. The animals will be examined
while alive by the city meat inspector. II
they pass scrutiny they will be killed at
the abattoir and the city meat inspector
will hold a post norton on the carcass to
discover traces OF disease. II the eXamina-
ton proves satisfactory, a stamp will be
affixed and the meat may be sold to the
butcher. The meat inspector will continue
to make the rounds Of the butcher shops
and IL he finds any meat without his stamp
or the tag Of the government inspector he
WIKI conhscate 1t. The penalty for the
violation Of any provisions Of the ordinance
Is TO be = fine OF not less than $50 nor
more than 5000.
City Veterinarian Ramacciotti has drawn
up this ordinance and has submitted 1t to
the city attorney. 1t will b. handed over
to the council in the near future.