Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-04-01

of them 10 core mere. General Sypnsr
said that he had first discovered q ten.
dency to change his mind on the part
Of General Eagan soon after the bids
were opened
He disclosed to me then" said the
witness, that the refrigerator beef men
had volunteered to give a bond for the
preservation of their meat for seventy
two hours after leaving the refrigerator.
asked him If he thought IL possible to
do this. and he replied, L don't believe
il is. unless they put up cold storage
plants" Continuing General Sypher
said that something was said by Gen.
eral Eagan at this juncture concerning
a preservative process, but he gave it
very little attention.
Some days later" General Sypher
said. General Eagan informed me that
owing to the great difference in price
he would have to give the refrigerator
beef a trial. Trial was the word he
used"
The witness said in reply to a question
put by Major Lee that General Eagan
had said something about political
pressure" as the reason for the necessity
for making the trial. and that he said
something about his conference with the
secretary Of war.
The army surgeons expressed the
opinion that the canned beef was unsat-
isfatory as food for the troops, but
some of them thought it no more HARM
full than other meat in the Cuban c'i-
mate. A summary OF their testimony Is
as follows: Colonel Charles r. Green
leaf. chief medical inspector of the
army, said of the canned beef: 1t was
not pleasant TO the sight and it was
mawkish to the taste without condi-
nents such as salt and pepper. The ef-
feet of its use would be similar to the
use of all canned meats. If good and
prepared with condiments and vegeta-
bles and not used too much, il might be
eaten without detriment." He had at
tributed the sickness to the climate.
Colonel u. T. Pope. chief surgeon Of
the Fifth army corps. said the canned
beef was unsatisfying in appearance
and entirely lacking in SAVIOR. 1t was
also stringy and tough" 1t would have
been eatable II properly cooked. He
pronounced the refrigerated beef good
Major Louis a. LaGarde. in command
of the reserve hospital at Siboney. said
that he did not believe the canned
beef had been any more harmful in
causing disease than would any other
meat Ia lacked seyor The refrigerator
beef was generally satisfactory. and
the physicians had noticed in a few in
stances that diarrhoea seemed to fol-
low the use of this meat by patients.
Yet wholesome fresh beef would have
the same effect.
Captain VI. w. Ireland. who was ex-
ecutive officer at the Siboney reserve
hospital. considered the canned beef "a
coarse grade of beef. greasy and un-
acceptable to the sight or taste" He
considered il probable that the use Of
the beef had been conducive to typhoid
.ever. DR.. Ireland said that the re-
frigerated beef was also repulsive to
the taste when received and that it was
of a soft consistency.
- tfatur Henry -F7--' 'f{ffborT-.-wfr- was
chief medtSat officer OF General Law
tours division at Santiago, dII IT1J at
tribute the sickness. in Cuba to any of
the food. and especially not to the re-
frigerated beef.
Captain Ashton B. Heyl. who was
chief surgeon OF the Rough Rider
brigade in the Santiago campaign. tes-
tilted to being made violently sick or
three different occasions by eating
canned roast beef. Bacon did not have
this eSsct. Major A. II. Appel. who was
IN cornmand of one of The division hos