New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-01
ARMY SURGEONS TESTIFY.
:. MAJORITY SAY CANNED BEEF WAS
NOT GOOD FOOD.
SOME THINK IT NO WORSE THAN OTHER
MEAT FOR USE IN THE TROPICS
rAGANs TESTIMONY AGAIN
CONTRADICTEl

u,o.hinrton. March 31.-All but two OF the
--,.no.sss before the Army Beef Court Of In
,u,rv to-day were members Of the medical staff
:, the Army who were on service in Cuba
THE other two were George II. Giddngs and
General J. Hale Sypher. who had been inter
ested in securing contracts for supplying beef
on the hoof and the block for the troops in
Cuba They testified that General Eagan had
cold them that the Secretary of War had asked
him to give the refrigerator beef trial, while
Mr. Svpher said that General Eagan had Gre
ated the impression upon him that he preferred
beef on the block to refrigerator beef Their test-
nony throughout contradicted General Eagans
evidence and Mr. Giddngs said that Congress
man Hawley was present at several OF his con-
ferences with General Eagan. A majority Of the
surgeons expressed the opinion that the canned
beef was unsatisfactory as food for the troops,
but some OF them thought 1t no more harmful
than any Other meat in the Cuban climate.
Colonel Charles r. Greenleaf chief medical
Inspector Of the Army. who was~the chief sur
seon in the field during the war. and was with
General Miles in his Porto Rican campaign.
was the first witness. He said that while in
Cuba on his way TO Porto Rico he had been
able 10 give no attention 10 the food supply OK
the troops, but while in Porto Rico he had TO
certain extent looked into the question Of food
complaints Of Importance except to the char
acter OF the cooking. His attention had not
been brought to any complaints concerning
either the canned or refrigerated beef. He had
eaten some Of the canned roast beef. and did not
relish IT, 1t was not pleasant to the sight.
he said. and It was mawkish 20 the taste with
cut condiments such salt and pepper"
In reply to a question as 70 what effect the
use OF this meat food would have on the
health OF the troops. DR.. Greenleaf said: The
effect If it's use would be similar 10 the use or
oil canned meats II good and prepared with
condiments and vegetables. and not used too
much. it might bs eaten without detrment II
spoiled il would produce sickness. or probably
II used steadily the system would not accept
H. 1t would if used daily and without cond-
ments or vegetables. pail on the appetite, and
the taste would revolt against it." He had
;ound that in the hot climate of Porto Rico the
meat did not keep long when opened. He had
not taken tie food question into account in con-
lection with the health Of the troops, attribut-
ing the sickness solely 10 the climate.
THE BEEF AT SANTIAGO.
Colonel Is. T. Pope. chief surgeon Of the Fifth
Army Corps in thu Santiago campaign. testified
concerning the food supply Of that campaign.
The hard bread ne found good, and the canned
vegetables generally So The canned beef.
wrongly labelled roast beef" he did not speak
of in such high terms. We accepted 1t as
Fart Of the ration" he said. land ate 1t as we'll
az we could but It was unsatisfactory in ap-
rearance and entirely lacking in SAVIOR. 1t was
also stringy and tough. and in some cases II
decomposed causing the cans containing 1t TO
swell. also noticed that 1t deteriorated rapid
" after being exposed 10 the air. The great
trouble seemed to he the lack of facilities for
hoA in Nc
form o. stews or hash when eaten. as II was
necessary IL should be used by the soldiers in
the field without cooking or preparation in any
way Taken in that way It very unsatis-
factory diet In appearance L was bleached
and washed out exsangunated. 1t looked like
beef from which beef tea had been made II
has struck me since that TIE nutritve qualities
Of the beef were extracted in boiling. and my
personal opinion is that as food it possessed
very low order OF nutritive value 1t was
very trying food unless eaten with the eyes
shut The roast feature OF it," he added, was
ell on the label-nOt in the can"
He had been unable 10 trace any special dis
eases 70 the food used in Cuba, but he thought
that the use Of the canned beef would tend to
weaken men and cause disease. After the
command became broken down by disease, ne
said. the canned beef became uncomfortable, and
On the whole he would not advise the use OF
this food in the tropics and he thought the
bacon ration would have been better. Most Of
the canned beef used at Santiago bore the label
of the Wilson Packing Company. Ptomaines
were. he said. characteristic Of canned meats
and they might exist without being easily de-
tected
The REFRIGERATED beef. DR.. Pope said, was good
The troops had been compelled TO trim OH
spoiled parts but after this was done and the
meat had been nicely cooked II was palatahle
and nutritious.
Major Louis A. La Gorde. in command OF the
reserve hospital al SibOney said that the canned
roast beef had been furnished at his table In the
hospital and n the patients Il was not espe-
ctaliv fond Of it." he said. but as substitute
4 look the place Of fresh beef. When we could
cook il with vegetables it far more palat-
able than otherwise The patients in the hos
pital used the canned meat regularly and there
was no especial complaint about it. There was
considerable diarrhoea. however, and | presume
much Of this was due to the use OF THIS ana
other meats The ration contained more meat
than II should have contained for food in that
climate" 49, ,,,..
The canned beef had been more harmful IN
causing disease than any other meat Woui1
have been AS a rule, the officers and men dlu
not like the canned meat, considering II ne,,"e "a
inviting nor nutritious. He. however Ielt II.
eating il that il was nutritious 1T was not
like straw" he said. yet it was rather taste
less
The REFRIGERATED beef was generally satisfac-
tory but he had noticed on some occasions d
green scum on this beef. and the physicians ha9
noticed in a few instances that dlarihha see ~
TO follow the use OF this meat by patients. Yet
wholesome fresh beef would have the SANE
effect. He also expressed the opinion that
ptomanes might be present without their pres
ence being detected by smell
GREASY AND UNACCEPTABLE"