Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-04-06
CHEMIST AND DOCTOR
Give Their Experiences with Army
Beef to the Court of
Inquiry.
ANALYSES OF PROF. eH1TTENDEH

Show the Canned Beef to Have Been Good
After Exposure to n Tropical Climate
DIR. Currie Finds Chemicals Both in
Refrigerated Beef Supplied to the Army
and That Sold to His Own Family in
New jersey.
| Washington, April 6.-The two princi-
| pal witnesses before the beef inquiry
| court yesterday were Prof. Russell H.
| Chittenden, of Yale college, and Dr.
| Samuel A. Currie. who was lieutenant
| colonel of the Second New Jersey regi-
nent, which was stationed at Jackson
vile during the war. Prof. Chittendeu
| is one of the chemists selected by the
government to aua'y we the canned roast
beef. He presented his report showing
that the beef was good. No chemicals
had been found by him in its prepar-.
alton and it was wholesome. The heat
OF the tropical climate, he said, would
probably cause the fat in the cans to
liquify and thus render the food dis
pleasing to the sight. Colonel Davis
stated that most of the cans from
which the samples were taken for an
alysis had been exposed to the heat of
tropical countries, some of the cans be-
ing brought from Havana for the pur-
pose of the test. Prof. Chittenden said
there was enough protein in one can
to sustain man for two days.
Meat That Was Analysed.
Colonel Davis said that three cans
each of the canned roast beef prepared
by the Prairie Canning company, the
Armour company and the Wilson COM
pany. were furnished to Professor Chit
tenden. Professor Chittenden said he
had made a careful study of the samples
furnished. having analysed all of them,
comparing them with fresh beef. He
had found the contents 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. In all the samples sup
piled the proportion of fat and protein /
was such as to bring them into the range /
of good beef.
Effect of Heat on the Fat
Considerable attention was given to /
the layer of fat found on the surface of l
each can, which, as found by him, was
always solid. Professor Chittenden had
found upon investigation that the fat
melted at As degrees centigrade or 113 1
and some in a lower temper
allure, and that Cnce melted it did not
again solidify at a higher temperature
than Sc centigrade. The presence of the
melted fat rendered it doubtful whether
the food was suitable for tropical CHI
mate except under conditions where ex-
treme heat could be guarded against or
where vegetables to lie cooked with the
meat could be had.
Neither Boric Nor Salicylic Acid.
All the samples had shown the pres
ance of gelatine, but careful tests failed |
to develop either boric or salicylic acid. |
The specimens supplied by the Wilson
Packing company (Which were corned) |
showed the presence of salt or salt
petre. Some of the meats were red, Civ
Ing rise to the suspicion that they might
have been colored by analyine dye, as in
the case of sausage. Tests had, how
ever, failed to show that such was the
ease. 1t was made evident that the meat
was boiled rather than roasted. On this
account there was loss of some of the
inorganic salts, and therefore some OF
its nutritive qualities. Major Lee only
entered upon a slight cross-examination
IF the witness, asking time for the ex-
animation of the report. 1t was then ar
ranged that Chittenden should return
next Tuesday for this cross examina-I
ion.