The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-23

muscular tissue, the nutritious portion OF
the beef. The examination was continued
by the boiling Of the meat In retors 20
see how much beef extract could DO taksn
from four pounds of IL; the amount pro-
duced was SO small that 1t was not per-
ceptible; it was not enough even to To
used as culture medium in experiments
in bacterioiogy. With references TO the
examination OF fresh beef, the witness
said that st three difersnt times there
weis brought to him pieces Of what
seemed to be ordinary meat from tbs
markets which evidently had been kept
Tor some time, presumably In refrigera-
tor
~ found salt in very small quantity"
said DIR. Murdock, and some OF the meat
specimens I found that they had been
coated with preparation OF salicylio acid
| Tor preserving the meat. gave the opin-
ion the salicyollc acid was not only detri-
mental 70 digestion, but produced nau-
sea. Borio acid while In itself not
| nauseating, delays the process OF digestion
and hence Is not q mt preservatiye for
meat used as diet. understand this
| to be referigerated beef; rs found boric
acid IN two specimens and safcyhc In
one. These experiments were maae
| about tho middle Of June, 1893 F"
Col. Davis-"Had it any connection
4 with the government"
| II don,t know that 1t had"
| "Wss 1t delivered to you by anyone con-
| nected with the governmentY Aau ne
contract relations with the United
| States"
~ dom, know that he had"
| "In connection with your duty ~ omcer
OF the health Departments what have you
found IT, be the practice among the butch
ers Of Chicago as to the use of preserva-
tives?"
They don't use preservatiyes very
much. For lcertain Glasses OF meat they
use SONS classes of preservatives. In fresh
moat there is not much need for preserva.
tives. Meat that has been kept for time
andE exposed once or twice, becomes
slightly tainted and that taint Is frc.
ouently removed with bi-carbonnte OF
soda, and sometimes.by dipping pieces OF
meat into hot solution and then placing
it Immediately back in the refrigerator.
A solution of boracic acid which simply
coats the outside will remove the taint
from meat"
Were either Of these samples rendered
you by anyone connected with packing
houses"
II 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 sus-
pect that they came from packing
housa"
"weIl, don't believe scientific man
is xpscted to 60 into those supposable
things" -.
you find chloride Of sodium and salt petre
in the canned beef you examinedP
81 did not make a Yuantitative anaiy-
sis, but there was large amount; more
than ordinarily used In cooking.
DIR. Murdock, In reply to questions by
Major Lee, said:
II can see how a coating of some pre-
servative could delay the tainting of the
outside of the meat, II 1t was exposed tC
the sunshine In moist climate and q
low latitude. II something of that kind
, is not used, / cannot see how meat can bt
kept great length. Of time In moisI
climate. And IL that outside coat was cut
away, IL would not aneot the value o.
, the meat as q ration"
"How long would beef that had beer
refrigerated considerable length OF tint
keep after 1t had been removed from thu
refrigerator in hot climate and n low
, latitudo without any artificial cooling"
"My opinion is that 1t could not keel
more than few hours-sik or eigh
hours"
"Haye you ever found horse flesh pu
, up in cans and sold on the mark ct her
F in Chicago?"
mot put up In cans, but have hat
samples brought tonne purporting to b
fresh beef from the market and hav
found some of these samples to be hors
flesh instead of beef, / had nc means o
knowing whence they came. An investi
gstion with that result led the health de
partment to suppress an establishment IL
the outskirts of Chicago"
William j. Griffin, sergeant Co. +, act
ing sergeant-major Of the second bat
talon, testified that at Jacksonville tn
refrigerated beef had to be frequently re
jected, 1t looked good. but when cut opel
it had peculiar odor, nauseous stencil
On one occasion fresh beef stew wa
served and Immediately thereafter the en-
I tire company was takon violently Ill Will
vomiting and diarrhoea. For two week
afterwards 81 men out OF the compan.
was the maximum number fit for duty
. Within six weeks three men died and al
though the records showed they died from
/ fever, witness said he knew that the sick
: ness from this meat was what kille'
them. The meat had to be brought tw'
miles and q half from the point of issue
J which took about half an hour. An in
, vestigation was made of ths beef whicl
made the company sick. but with wha
results witness could not say.
, DR.. John E. Burne Of Chicago, VIII
was assistant surgeon Of the Second iii
nois volunteers while the regiment wa
at Jacksonville. stated that ne had con
demned the refrigerated beef several time
before 1t left the wagon which brOugh
it. He had also returned some of 1t t
, the cars and had told the agent OF Swift
, & Co., that he could not use it. He ba
a refused the meat seven times in on
: month on account of the bad ouor an
bad taste. The men complaint bitterl
TINT they could not eat 1t.
B "Col. Davis-"Had you reason to be
8 lieve or suspect that the Swift refrigera
3 tor beef bad been chemically treated wit!
1 a view to It's Preservation
r THAT had never been suggested to me
: but 1t occurred to me when ! used II
The only ground / had for that belief wa
l the difference in Its taste and Its appear
b ance after it had been removed from th
t cal. 1t had u deadened peculiar appear
n ance, and wondered whether any chem!
I calls had been used"
q "Are you able to say that this appear
S ance was not due simply to advancin
q decom position"
~ would net like to say. that. ! do nc
0 believe i can define the vague idea tha
i came into my mind. l attributed con
t siderable of the sickness to tainted beef.
t Col O. NJ. smith, army purchasing agen
h in Chicago, was recalled. He testifie
{ that he had submitted to the court thre
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