Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-04-06
The Government Experts Find
Traces of PreServativeS.
Gen. Miles Counsel Argues for Ex-
animation Of His Witnesses.
The General Impression Is that Request Will
Not Be Granted.


Chittenden Of Yale University and Dr.
Samuel a. Currie. who was lieutenant
colonel of the I'd New Jersey Regiment,
which was stationed at jacksonville
during the war.
Prof. Cnittenden is one Of the chem
lists selected by the government to an
alyZe the canned roast beef. He pre-
scented his report showing that the beef
generally was good. No chemicals had
been found by him in its preparation
and it was generally wholesome. lie,
however, expressed doubt as to whether
the heat Of a tropical climate would not
cause the fat in the cans to liquify ana
thus render the food displeasing TO the
sight.
Col. Davis stated that most Of the
cans from which the samples We're talk
en- for analysis mad been exposed to the
heat Of tropical countries, some of the
cans being brought from- Havana for
the purpose Of a test.
DR. Currier testified that the Tef-ig-
Grated beef supplied at Jacksonville
had on some occasions made the men
sick. He had made chemical analysis
Of the beef which in one case showed
the presence of salicylic acid and in an
other Of boracic acid.
DR.. Maus, chief surgeon of the eth
Army Corps. Col Huntington of the
mour's New York agent, We're also
heard during the day.
Major Lee presented more of the cor
respondence between Gen. Miles and the
court and put in a request on behalf of
the general that nine of $50 witnesses
whose names he had heretofore sug-
gested. be called, saying that they
would testify concerning refrigerated
beef and chemically treated beef. The
court did not indicate whether the re-
quest would be complied with.
Col. r. Huntington, of the United
States engineer corps. was the first
witness. He was in charge of the de-
tachment Of marines which made such
a fine record at Guantanamo. He said
the health of the troops while there
was good. varying with the weather.
depending largely apparently upon the
nights of heavy rainfall
There had been no complaint, he said.
concerning the food supply. about five
frigerator beef.
Prof. Russell Chittenden of Yale. to
whom the court entrusted its annaly-
sis of the canned roast beef of the var
ious companies from whom the gov
eminent had made purchases of this
article gave the result of his examina-
ton.
Col. Davis read his report and also
the instructions of the court to him.
The instruc tons showed that three
cans each of canned roast beef pre-
pared by the Prairie Canning Co. the
Armour Co. and the Wilson Co. which
had been exposed to tropical climate.
We're furnished to Prof. Chittenden. His
report dealt largely with the chemical
method employed but the result was
entirely favorable TO the beef as food
product.
He stated that he had made a care
full study of the samples furnished. He
had. he said. found the contents per-
fectly sweet and emitting the odor al
ways given out by cooked meat. In
some cans the meat particles We're
large while in others they were not
The fat particles We're 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 laboratory it had
retained its freshness for several days
1t had then developed mould. after
wards decomposing.
Prof Chittenden had found upon in
vestigation that the fat melted at As
degrees centigrade, or 113 Fahrenheit
and N 70, 4
that once melted it did not again
soidify at a higher temperature than
Sc centigrade. The presence Of the
melted fat rendered it doubtful whether
the food was suitable for tropical
climate except under conditions where
extreme heat could be guarded against
or vegetables to be cooked with the
meat are available.
All the samples had shown the pres
ence Of gelatinc, but the usual tests
had failed to develop either boric or
salicylic acid. The specimens supplied
by the Wilson Packing Company
(Which were corned) showed the pres
ence of salt or saltpeter. Some of the
meats were red, giving rise to the sus-
picion that they might have been color
ed by dye. as in the case of sausage.
Tests had, however, failed to show that
such was the case. IT was made evil
dent that the meat was boiled rather
than roasted.
1t was arranged that Mr. Chittenden
should return, next Tuesday, for cross
examination.
Lieut.. Col. l.. Nj. Maus as chief mcdi-
cal officer of the eth Army Corps. who
served in various camps in the South
ern states. during the Spanish war,
said there had been very little com
plant concerning the meat. He was
at Jacksonville during the latter part
of the summer and the early part of
the fall. There the men had found it
necessary to cook the refrigerator mcar
as soon as received. as otherwise 1t
became tainted. In one instance an
entire company had been sick. as ne
believed. by eating the meat. How
ever. as a rule, the beef was carefully
protected in the warehouses.
The one instance of sickness BELLY d
a.. h,x ~,