The evening times., 1899-03-24
Acids i'm Beef.

The Court of Enquiry appointed to in
vestigate the beef scandal has left Chicago
and gone to New York, but there are
echoes from the Western sessions. The
abstract of the testimony of DR.. Murdoch,
a reluctant witness. who has been in the
service of the Chicago Board of Health,
is supplemented by details which are i'm
portant. The statement that he found
that beef sold in the open market had been
chemically treated really means that he
discovered boracie and salicyiic acids in
specimens which he examined. They were
used to preserve the meat, he says.
1t will be recalled that the late Alger
Relief Commission disposed Of" the
charge that acids were used. and convicted
General Miles of making an unwarranted
charge If preservative acids were used on
meat sold in the Chicago market, it is safe
TO infer that they would be applied to beef
intended for the soldiers in an almost trop-
ical climate. This, however, is not left TO
conjecture, since the testimony of Ser
geant Mason, of the regular army, has not
been challenged.
There is further evidence in the Wig
orous defence of the custom of using these
acids TO preserve meat i'll publication
that has the interests of the trades at
heart. The National Druggist" of ST
Louis sends TO this Office marked copy OF
its current number, to call attention to an
article on ''Embalmed Beef" 1t denies
that the discovery of these acids IN beer
should suggest fragrant derelicuon. 1t
then proceeds TO abuse the medical pro-
fession for asserting that boracic and SAIL
cyIic acids are deIeterious to health. The
implication is that they are often applied.
THE public is bound to accept the decision
of the medical profession as TO the eneets
of these things on the system, and so FAR
nobody in authority has denied that their
use is unsafe and even injurious. The
packers have distinctly denied that they
have ever applied them TO the beef, from
which it is inferred that they recognize
the improperly of the process.
The positive evidence before the Court
Ct Enquiry is that in spite of the white
washing report of the Alger Relief Com
mission and in spite OF the prediction OF
Colonel Davis that there would be no proof
of the chemical treatment of the beef
both these acids We're used. There is the
testimony of surgeons and others that the
soldiers who ate embalmed beef-or beef
chemically treated-were seriously affect
ed in exactly the manner the medical au-
thoriry says the acids will affect the sys-
TEN. There is reason to believe that much
of the meat placed on the market by the
packers has been chemically treated.
In bringing this matter to public atten-
! ton. General Miles has done more than
protect the soldiers from future abuse. 1t
! is learned that what purported to be beef
SEM TO the European market from Wes-
| tern establishment was in fact horse meat.
| Perhaps ii may be. as the shipper says
| that horse meat is good. but people who
pay for beef are entitled to beef and ii
| is wrong TO deliver horse meat under the
name of beef. The entire meat business
needs overhauling as a result of General
Miles charges and it is in a fair way to
get il.
So far there is no warrant for the asser-
rion of the Boston Herald that the Court
! of Enquiry is disposed TO favor the packers
/ ana the dr DtpdIliheEt dt the eApeHse VI
! the truth: that in spite of the evidence the
verdict will be against General Miles and in
! favor of the packers. That was foregone
! conclusion in the case of the Alger Relief
! Commission. but there is nothing to justify
such a prediction in the case of this Court.
II willingly heard the testimony of men
who were refused a hearing by the Com
mission and any refusal to give due weight
to il would be an open perfidy of which
the members would never be guilty. That
the report will condemn the packers and
yindidcate General Miles we have no doubt