Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-21
THE EMBALMED BEEF.
What Mi|es's Chief Surgeon
Says Of It
FLIES WOULDN'T LIGHT ON IT
Or il They Did, They Got Away from
il YerJ Quickly.
| CHEMICAL TEST OF 1T MADE.
This Disclosed characteristics of
BOrax aud SnIicyIic Acid-Chemical
| Preparation Probably Not Done
| with Fraudulent Intept.
CHEMICAL TEST OF 1T MADE

WASHINGTON. January @.-Major w.
II. Daily, chief surgeon with General
Miles. whose field of service stretches
from Tampa to Porto Rico, and whose
report condemning the beef furnished the
expeditionary forces created sensation
some weeks ago, made his long-awaited
appearance as a witness before the War
Investigating Commission to-day.
Surgeon Daly's report was the strong
est I'm language of those submitted by
General Miles in substantation OF his
attack on the beef supplies.
Dr. DAILY has been too Ill to appear
heretofore. He was accompanied by Gen
eraI Niles's own stenographer. despite
the presence Of the commissions steno-
grapher. on being sworn, the witness
identified the report submitted as MS |
own, changing its date. however from |
September 3lst TO October 3lst He was |
willing he said, to stand by his report.
II was wholly voluntary. and wac not
called out by any request or in obedience
TO anv circular or letter. so far as he re-
membered. He had heard nothing or an
official circular calling for reports. AT
Ponce. however some time between Au-
! gust 1st and 18th. he believed ne commu-
nicated TO General Miles some obserVa-
tions made at Tampa. He had noticed
q quarter of beef hanging in the sun on
shipboard. and he became interested In
| the experiment on having freshly slaugh-
tered beef placed in such conditions 10
see how il would stand, observing he
said that the flies. especially bull-hies'
did not alight on it, or If they did they
got away from it very quickly.
1T MADE HIM SICK.
He had cut off a piece Of that beei az
| Tomna and cooked II, but IL neither slnei'
nor tasted natural. Later, ne helpeu 'ne
NO., corral some horses. and subsequently
had trouble with his stomach Whicn ne
| attributed TO the eXertiOn OF corralI'hs
Then he noticed indications OF cheiHl-
| cal process that brought back recoIle0-
tions of chemical stuff he hau useo 70
| nreserve elk i'm hunting expeditions IN llS
| Rocky Mountains, some years before. All
| that dav at Tampa and the next ne hau
on unnleasant taste in his mouth III
| preyious hunting experiences ne ldu an"
lived the chemical preserVauVe ana hao
found IL to contain bOraX ana salcync
acid These were to be used eXterhallS
ON the elk hunt. but he had rubbed II into
the raw flesh and also injected IL.
: Questioned as to these ingredients lie
lid horax was not safe to be used in
r connection with food. nor for ordinary
= medical purposes. while the salicylic acid
was most nauseous, loathsome, ana as
qusting-almost destructive OF Digestion
Dr Dalv said he should say the attempt
I IN nreserve the beef by chemicals was not
Y n succegs. That had been his experience
on the transport Panama. In the peel
Y carried by that ship he was pretty sure
chemicals were involved
: REQUIREMENTS UNREASONABLE.
That beef he said, was very foul H'
.t,I,,,ob+ the government beef require
ments of the contractors were very ul
reasonable. Everybody knows he SAID
that beef exposed to moisture and warm
for twenty-four hours "will be very mucl
tried"
Recurring 20 the transport Panama, NJ
eoid most of the beef 1t carried was re-
frieerated. They had secured ton o
/, beef and for this they at first had one
: ord one-half tons of ice. Later, II IN
y creased TO eleven and oEe-half tons o
ice The beef, however, had decidedl!
. peculiar odor. or "a
"At Ponce" he went on TO say, i co
served the refrigerated beef taken IRON
% the transports. 1t had peculiar oaor
a I observed the examination OF spoiIed pee
. on one transport. 1t was done py d p"1Cl'
:. or down in the hold. lie thrust MS arm
= In everv direction into the putrid meat
!, irving TO find a solid piece. rms lhea
II had the same peculiar odor.'
lie added that the Panama's Deel Wai
- ranted his report that it's odor was hk
f that of a dead human body, injected WI
nreseryatives He also depicted the stron
l. odors aboard the transport chester.
= General Beaver asked II the "ltIeS "S
did not think his examination Pu'
" sunerfcjal and without any substanu'
IN knowledge. ,,,o,r h
# replied.
le CHEMICAL TEST.
le -, u,o panama. coming over frol
po1oa no had made some tea or sou
l. fror1 The refrigerated beef, the same th'
Of bad heen condemned; had hltered II an
Id "Nio1 - bermefrically in a can, and whe
or - roocbed his home at Pittsburs. ma
analvzed IT, From this he had optaln'
ne a lightest brown residuum. rms ne s'N
Il. dieclosed the charactersucs OF Dora
- and salicylic acld. ,...,
DR. DAILY urged that ne pe PeiH''''u
s. demonstrate the test.
On "Dr Connor objected. insisted that
IN ,aaye the powder the witness brought
he ,ha residuum from this beef with u
a. cD,nmission. TO be examined by a go
IL eminent chemist.
C. witness pleaded not to have the ma
p- ter taken out of his hands. and a cor
nromise was effected by deciding tnat
r. naIv he present with the official cnemis
N. ord II was arranged 70 have Profess
ds | clark. of the Geological survey olhC
ss- examine the powder tomorrow Iloi i'il
)r- Al The afternoon session DR.. Daiy a
he aer,vent n rather severe cross-eNahih
ion especially on the date on whlSh
mad renorted as TO his suspicious III
on gard 10 the beef, and why he had not
Ia | ported sooner. ,,..
ho Dr Daly said he had never discuss
T ,,ith any officer the subject OF bad pe'
a, instead of commentint' on such matt
Z" he had rather attempted 20 allay DISCO
~, tcpt with the beef. While AT Chich
"' ,,e,oo he had found meat which appeea
- ad IN have been treated as indlcaeeu
he his report
&c QUESTION OF FRAUD.
fu - tho government was supphed WI
- o,'ho,tcallv prepared beef. he was ask'
d,N he not think that the goVerhihe
an had been fraudulenuy dealt WIN
mr. Daly replied that. in his Judsme
,,nsn arch beef had been supplied Dy G
,ractors II had not been WIN lrauuui'
. irfcnt. The person supplF'ns W. -
- n,ohably considered The piepai"',. :.
~ ned no more harmful than s"i.' a.
ro, arrived at the conclusions ne ulo
III" I'm after tests. Instead OF wsaAenirs
nosition, each test made MN Tess VII,
,, a. reeant any statements ne hau hiau'
pr. paly was aues'io"su