The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-21
FOUND THE EMBALMED BEEF.
SURGEON DAILY TESTiFIEs BEFORE
THE WAR COMMISSION.
Chemicals Having Been Used In
Number of Cases and Made


awaited appearance as a witness before
the war investigation committee tcday.
Days report was the strongest ira Ian
gaage OF those submitted by Miles in sub
sanitation OF his action on aeef supplies.
On being sworn. witness identified the
report submitted as his own He was
willing he said. 20 stand by his report
II was wholly voluntary and was not call
ed out by any request or In obedience 10
any circular or letter AZ Tampa. en-
shipboard he had noticed a quarter Of
beef hanging free in the sun on ship5oard.
and he became interested in the expert
ment OF having fresh slaughtered beef
placed under such climatic conditions 10
see how long Ii could stand IT.
Il observed" he said, THAT flies. espe-
cially bull flies. did not affect IL. did MT
aiight en- ii. or, il they did. they got
away from ii very quickly" He had
cur of piece Of that beef at Tampa and
cooked IL. but II neither snelied nor tasted
naturally. He noticed indications OF
chemical presence in the meat that
brought back recoilections of chemical
stun he had used 10 preserve elk in hunt
Ing expeditions in the Rocky mountains
some years before. All that day and next
he had an unpleasant taste. In that pre-
yious hunting expedition he had analysed
the chemical preservatiye and found il
TO contain borax and saiicyiic s.cias.
They were TO be used externally on the
elk. but he had rubbed IL into raw flesh
and also injected IL.
Questioned as to the ingredients he said
borax was not safe to be used in connec-
ton with food nor for ordinary medicinal
purposes. while salicyiic acid was most
naGseous, loathsome and disgusting. al
most always destructive OF digestion.
Dr. DAILY said ne should say the attempt
10 preserve the beef by chemicals was not
a success That had been his experience
on the transport Panama In the beef car
rled by which ship he was pretty sure
chemicals were involved That beef. he
said. was very foul. Mos; OF the beef which
the Panama carried was refrigerated. They
had secured ton OF beef and for this
they had al first one and one-haif tons
OF zee. later Increased 10 eleven and oae-h half
tons OF ice. The beef. however. had de-
c!dediy peculiar odor.
AT Ponce" he went on 10 say, II OBJ
served the refrigerated beef taken from the
transports. Ii had peculiar odor. l OBJ
served the examination of spoiled beef on
one transport. I, was done by Il butcher
down in the hold. He thrust his arm in ev-
cry direction into the putrid meat, trying 10
find a solid piece. This meat had the same
peculiar odor."
He added that the transport Panansas
bee. warranted his report that its odor was
like that Of dead human injected with
preserystives. He also depicted the strong
odors aboard the transport Chester. Gen.
Beaver asked II the witness did not think
his examination purely superficial and
without any substantial knowledge.
NO. | would not like 10 say that" wit
ness replied. He believed the beef on the
Panama had come from the transport Man
.toba
On the transport coming over from Pence
he had made some tea. or soup. from the
refrigerated beef. the same that had been
condemned. had filtered 1t and sealed II her
meticaily in can and when he reached
his home at Pittsburg had analysed IT.
From this he got a lightish brown resid-
ium This, he said, disclosed the charac-
teristscs Of borax and saiicylic acid.
Or. DAILY urged that he be permitted 10
demonstrate the test DIR. Conner object
ed. insisting that he leave the powder the
witness brought az the residuum OF this
beef with the commission. to be examined
by a government chemist
Witness pleaded not 10 have the matter
taken out 81 his hands. bu, compromise
was effected by deciding that DR.. DAILY be
present with the official chemist, and II
was arranged TO have Prof. Clarke. OF the
geological survey here, examine the pow
der.
At the afternoon session DIR. Daily under
went a rather severe cross-exarnination.
especially on the subject o, the date on
In regard 10 the beef. ana why he had no,
reported sooner.
DIR. Daily said he had never discussed
with any officer the s1bjec, Of bad beef
Instead Of commenting on such matters he
had rather attempted 20 aiay discomfort
with the meat. Waite a; Chiekamauga he
had found meat which appeared 10 have
been treated as indicated In his repori
At Jacksonville ne had Inspected meat
which while Of gond appearance. had IAN
unm8s;akab!e oaor" the cooks there said
that much seasoning was required To over
come the unpaiatabieness Of the meat In
regard 20 his rspc-t on the question Of ths
meat furnished the srruy. pr Daily was
asked WHISTLER Il had been forwarded from
army headquarters 10 any person interest
al. He replied that in his opinion the ma
tor general % the army sas the rs.ysar,
most likely 30 be interested
DR.. Daily was AT Tampa about the safh
Of May. His sssrsctons In regard ~ the
beef. he said, were aroused about the
Eth Of June. He reported THIS fact In
August
Mr.. DENLY asked DR. DAILY whether IN
his oqinion. an ofacer Rad performed bis
duty when. knowing that the beef sup.
p}iea the army vas detrimental n health
he had concealed tina. fact and Tar. no,
reported fer many weeks
Or DAILY replied that nc had reported
the saEiS IN regular way. and after
mature 9eiihera.ion. HE cos1ii not 90
sasi -'hoHl about IL 20 everyone 20 met"
Mr. Denby. stsli following ~, this HE
Of tnterrdgafcry asked waeshef 10 would
havs treated patient "a he had treated
the soldiers 81 the army.
lyon are or trial navy. doctor" con-
iiauea Mr DENNY. "on trial before tie
country"
To this The witness protested vigorously
that he vas npt ~ trial ard That she
coartyy would never 3st him On trial
Daring the course ~ The Afternoon. T}r
DAILY stated taat II we a mistake To be-
lisve that freshly killed meat was detri-
mental to health Meas troE7 Al ANIMAL
jsss slaughtered was in TO nay in5ur-
totss he said
TonsorTow morning rr- Daily ~lIl meet
Dr Common CO iiae commission. snA Tsr
Clarke. - IRE geological s8g-vev xnsn an
examination VIII ~ made - saa powder
which TEy. fAasy believes ~ exAgast char
aeesrxttcs ~ bo-ax ans za1i~Yfe ac.f.
Fatal Railroad Collision.
SAN ANTONIO Tvw san. 18~~TH1e
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