The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-06
CHEMICALS WERE FOUND
By DR.. Currie in the Refrigerated
Beef.
AND BORACIC
Professor Chittenden Testified That An
alysis Showed the Canned Roast Beef
to Be Generally Wholesome-Miles
Presents More Witnesses.


onel of the End New Jersey regiment,
during the war. Professor Chittenden
is one of the chemists selected by the
government to analyze the canned
roast beef. He presented his report
showing that the beef generally was
good. No chemicals had been found
by him in its preparation, and it was
generally wholesome He, however,
expressed doubt as to whether the heat
of the tropical climate would not cause
the fat in the cans to liquefy and thus
render the food displeasing to the sight
Colonel Davis stated that most of the
cans from which the samples were ta-
ken for analysis had been exposed to
the heat of tropical countries, some of
the cans being brought from Havana
for the purpose of test DR.. Currie
testified that the refrigerator beef sup
piled at Jacksonville had on some oc-
casions made the men sick. He had
made chemical analyses of the beef,
which in one case showed the presence
of salicylic acid and in another of bo-
racic acid.
Major Lee presented more of the cor
respondence between General Miles and
the court, and put in a request on be-
half of the general that nine of the
100 witnesses whose names he had
heretofore suggested be called, saying
that they would testify concerning re-
frigerator beef and chemically treated
beef The court did not indicate
whether the request would be COM
piled, with.
The army beef court of inquiry
opened today with Colonel r. w. Hunt
ington of the United States marine
corps on the stand. He was in charge
of the detachment of marines which
namo. He said the health of the
troops while there was good, varying
with the weather There had been 10
complaint, he said, concerning the food
supply, about five-sevenths Of the meat
being refrigerator beef. The beef was,
however used almost Immediately after
being taken from the ice-box. No
canned beef was issued. He attributed
the immunity of his command from ILL
ness to adequate food and distilled wa
ter.
Professor Russell H. Chittenden of
Yale college, to whom the court en-
trusted an analysis of canned rCast
beef of the various companies from
whom the government had made pur-
chases of this article, gave the result
of his examination, Colonel Davis read
ing his report and also the instructions
of the court to him. The instructions
showed that three cans of the roast beef
prepared by the Prairie Canning COM
pany, the Armour company and the
Wilson company, which had been ex-
posed to the tropical climate, were fur
,nished to Professor Chittenden. His
report dealt largely with the chemical
| methods employed, but the result was
entirely favorable to the beef as a food
| product. He stated that he had made
a careful study of the samples fur
| nished, having analyzed all of them,
comparing them with fresh beef, and
| devoting himself also to determining
| the presence of or absence of preserva-
| tiVes. He had he said, found the con-
tents perfectly sweet and emitting the
| odor always given out by cooked meat.
| In some cans the meat particles were
large, while in others they were not.
| The fatty particles were generally
| found collected on one side or the other
| of the cans. Notwithstanding the
| meat had been placed in bottles and
| exposed to the warm air of the !abura-
tory, it had retained it's freshness for
| several days. 1t had then developed
| mould, afterward decomposing. In all
the samples supplied the proportion of
| fat and protein was such as to bring
| them into the range of good beef. Con-
| siderable attention was given to large
| layers of fat found on the surface of
| each can, which, as found by him. was
| always solid. Professor Chittenden had
| found upon investigation that he fat
melted at As degrees centigrade, or 113
Fahrenheit and some in a lower tenn
| perature, and once melted it did not
| again solidify at a higher temperature
| than SO centigrade. The presence of
the melted fat rendered it doubtful
whether the food was suitable for a
| tropical climate, except under condi-
tions where extreme heat could be
| guarded against or where vegetables to
be cooked with the meat are available.
All the samples had shown the prese-
| ence of gelatine, but careful tests had
| failed to develop either boracic or sali-
| cylic acid. The specimens supplied by
| the Wilson Packing company (Which
were corned) showed the presence of
| salt or saltpeter. Some of the meats
We're red, giving rise to the suspicion
| that they might have been colored with
| analyne dye. as in the case of sau-
| sage. Tests had, however, failed to
show that such was the case 1t was
made evident that the meat was boiled
rather than roasted. On this account
| there was a loss cf some of the inor-
| ganc salts and therefrom some of it's
nutritive qualities. Still. there was suf-
ficient protein in one can of beef to sus-
tain a man for two days.
Major Lee entered upon a slight
oss-eXaminatcn of the witness. ask
! ing time for the examination of the re-
port. II was then arranged that Mi.
| Chittenden should return next Tues
| day for this crcss-eXamination.
Lieutenant Colonel l.. NJ. Maus, who,
as chief medical officer of the 7th army
corps. served in various camps in the
southern states during the Spanish war.
said there had been very little com
plant concerning the meat At Jack
sonville the men had found it necessary
| to cook 'the refrigerator meat as soon
as received as otherwise it became
tainted. In one instance an entire COM
pany of troops had been made sick, as
he believed, by eating the meat How
ever, as rule, the beef was carefully
protected in the warehouses. One con-