The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-23
THAT CAUSED
SICKNESS AND DEATH

titles of boracic acid and other cheni-
Gals, but that so far as he knew such
chemicals were never applied to fresh
OG Horaee "ef srd dSeP of OFF swift CO. re-
called, gave a detailed list of the various
chemicals used in the different depart,
ments of that establishment He said
that in the refrigerated beef department.
no chemicals of any kind are used and
that he never knew of salicyHc acid be-
ing used on the premises for any purpose.
Albert G.. Manns, the chemist for Ar
mour & Co., testified that a large num-
Der of chemicals were used in the manu-
featuring department, but none in the
packing house except borax and boracic
acid, which were used in packing some
goods for the foreign markets.
The witness stated that the refrigerated
beef sent to the army was shipped in the
usual way and that no chemicals were
used on IT.
In reply to Colonel Davis the witness
said he had seen what is called 'preserv
aline' and had analysed 1t. Its main IN
gredient was borax and 1t was used for
preserving vegetables, milk, cheese, but
ter, etc.
John Bierma, private in Company E.
First Illinois Volunteers, afterward as
signed to a provisional battalion of engi
neers for duty in Porto Rico, testified
next: In all cases, he said. the men in
his battalion refused to eat the canned
roast beef unless absolutely driven to 1t.
They said it was unpalatable, their stom-
achs rebelled against it and they were
attacked with vomiting after eating 1t.
III Porto fGcO the men very seldom ATE
the canned beef while their money last
ed. The surgeon told the men that the
refrigerated beef was unfit to eat and
that he could not do anything with his
medicines long as they were COM
PEELED to eat it; he also condemned the
canned beef.
w. Clark Marshall said he had been a
specialist in meat provisions since 1S48,
although he had not been in any of the
establishments in seven or eight years.
Please explain the nature and char
n Of Na-ffh for 20
10 cameo meat, more particularly 10
roast beef, so called" said Major Lee.
Il have investigated and experimental
in the matter since 184S. The process of
canning meat to-day robs it of all nutri-
ton, leaving nothing but fiber, fat and
gelat1ne in the can. | consider 1T entirely
chemist describes it as a mass of insolu-
bic matter In the packing houses in
soluble matter would come under the
head of tankage and would be used as a
fertilizer. There are thousands of eX-
periments in all colleges, known to all
scientists, to show that animals fed with
1t will starve to death. Canned corned
Colonel Davis said: 81 object to any
testimony from this witness which does
not relate strictly to the objects of the
Major Lee replied: 81 believe that at
times the questions of the recorder have
gone outside the subjects of the inquiry
wish the witness, of course, to keep
within bounds"
In reply to Major Lee the witness said
that he knew where O'Malley's slaughter
house used to be located. He also knew
of a herd of thirty or forty condemned
cattle being driven there for slaughter
He saw some of these cattle the next day
in a city market. He knew of the car
cases going afterward to a canning es-
| adjustment He would not give the
name of the concern unless the firm de-
sired 1t. The cattle had pleuro-pneumo-
MIA This occurred eighteen months be-
fore DR.. Devoe took charge of the Bureau
of Animal Industry at the stockyards.
How long will canned roast beef
IF properly canned it will keep for
twenty years.
The witness stated that the present pro-
cess robbed the meat of its nutrition. and
the sterilizing feature of it generated
gas which tainted the meat.
rs fresh beef prior to or during ship
ments directly or indirectly treated with
any chemicals?"
"a man would be a fool If he did not
treat 1t chemically under ordinary regis
tration. because meat going from here to
! London could not be sent under the or
binary temperature of an icehouse with
out having on its arrival a deposit of at
mospheric germs and the meat would be
unstable in London"
Witness did not think there was any
harm in so treating beef If it were done
intelligently.
Captain r. H. Wainwright of the First
United States Cavalry said that in Cuba
there was no complaint by his men about
the So-called canned roast beef. It was
generally eaten by them. There was gen.
eral dissatisfaction, however, with it on
! account of its unpalatableness and nom
appetiZing qualities.
The last witness examined in Chicago
was Lewis H. Wilson, who served with
the Seventh company of the Volunteer
Signal Corps in Porto Rico. He stated
that on all occasions the men in his com
pany complained of the canned roast beef
as nauseating, unpalatable and entirely
unfit to eat No more than 10 per cent
of that issued to his company was con-
sumed.
/ The members of the court left for the
East tonight and will meet in New York
/ at IL o'clock Saturday morning.