The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-07

On Monday Secretary WILSON, Ofthe De-
partment Of Agriculture, made this notice
able statement:
It will be a long time before the American meat
packers recover from the hue and cry over tho
canned hoef furnished the United States Army.
After years OF unremtting efforts the packers had at
last succeeded in Introducing our canned meats to
the European trade. and there no country where
they could not be- found. ard they were in use in
most of the armies As soon the howl went up
that these same packers had furnished rotten beef
g. the American armies their sales went down t.
nothing and now They lave all thcir work 10 do
over aGan.
at will be douhly hard this time because they
vii! not only have to overcome tho original prein.
dice against American meat. but they will have to
prove in almost every case. to the satisfaction OF
the individual buyer. that there no foundation
in the charges made against the meat. When the
truth overtakcs tn Ii" they may he able to restore
their goods II ia, OF. but they will have hard time
to rebuild their trade"
And how did this strange and unforc-
s"cnbio misfortune come about?
II came about because Gen. MILES the
ranking General Of the American Army, in
moment Of insanity or of piQue or vim
Girtiyen"ss disurdrring to his mind, de-
rUred that he had overwhelming evil
a''l''f llltI lllt ll'Sl DttI 1uTDlSnpu the
army 10y the contractors was embalmcd. 4"
and that tn" canned beef was product Of
deceit in manufacture and was essentially
unfit for food. 1t all meant that fraud was
at the root OF the American beef trade.
1nasmuch as Gen. MILEs's atrocious
charge was based chiefly on the PROMPT
ings of Major DAILY, surgeon on his STAFF,
It would be we'll to give the dupes Of the
Miles craze and the frightened merchants
abroad m opportunity to read the Court OF
Inquiry's conclusions upon Major DAYS
testimony:
The testimony OF DR.. W. H. DAILY which has been
carefully considered by the court is substantially
Gs follows:
On June II. 1900, Just as the Santiago expedi.
fon was about to sail, his attention drawn to
one OF several quarters Of beef which had been
treated by process discovered by Mr.. POWELL of
New York. and exposed to atmospheric action on
one OF tho transports with view to test the etcien
OF tho process. From the quarter so exposed
he cut small piece for further examinI.
ton. in the belief that the meat constituted part
of the food supply Of the expedition Tho next day
he cooked and ate the meat thus obtained. Soon
after eating 1t he experienced certain symptoms-t
burning sensation in tho stomach. followed by
nausea and VomitinE-whch recalled an experience
the frontier in which. upon at least two occasions
preclsoly the same symptoms had followed the eat.
ing # game, tho decay OF which 1t had been at.
tohlped TO arrest by tho of preventative prem.
Aration composed OF borio aud salicylc acids Al.
though the results OF using the beef In his own
la been so marked, tho fact WAS not reported 10
superior authority with view 20 such further in.
NrstiGston or action as the necessities OF the ca.e
MIGHT seem to require
In his subsequent examination of the refrigerated
beef including that made ON the Panama he testi6es
to ms beefin the use Of the same preseryAtye
lie Is less positive as TO the method NJ their AppoA
Il u, Out uses the term injected as descriptive
Of the process which he believes to have been used
in treating the beef. On the hospital transport Pan
Ana or which lie was the surgeon in charge and
which left Ponce about Sept. l, 1898, he testihss
that he suspected that the chemicsls had been
used IN preserving the beef and that some broth
hSen by him from a callron in the ships galley
VAS made from beef which he suspected had been
mus chemically treated, There were two medical
ohrors on board and several other commissioned
"Mcers, including the quartermaster and the com.
n!ssary OF the vessel but 10 Of these were his
s'spcions communicated. No analysis was made
or attempted with the means at hand in the hospital
drSpcnsAry.
Of lew days ont from Ponce, the meat having I've.
com" s"arce of danger by reason of it's tainted
condti H. board NJ survey was called and the beef
W7s 'uhnittrd 70 It for examination, The Question
o. HChlr'ted chemical treatment not referred to
tie board Shich examined tho meat and found IL to
be n ar "d?ancsa stage Of decomposition, and for