Evening star., 1899-03-23
CANS ALSO CONTAINED CHEMICALS
w. Clark Marshall and Dr.. E. E.
Murdock on the Stand.
SERGT. GRIFFIN'S EVIDENCE

taking 1t back in wagons and telling the
agent of Swift & Co. that he could not use
it. He had refused the meat seven times in
one month on account of the bad odor and
bad taste The men complained bitterly
that they could not eat it.
Albert G. Manns the chemist of Armour
& CO., testified that large number of
chemicals We're used in the manufacturing
department; but none in the packing de-
partment except borax and boracic acid,
which were used in packing some goods for
the foreign market. The witness stated that
the refrigerated beef sent to the army was
shipped in the usual way, and that no
chemicals We're used on it.
In reply to Col Davis the witness said
he had seen what is called ''preservatine,"
and also analyEed it. Its main ingredient
was borax, and it was used for preserving
vegetables, milk cheese, butter, &c.
Specialist Marshall Testifes.
W. Clark Marshall. said he had been a
specialist in meat provisions since 1S4S, al
though he had not been in any of the es-
Establishments in seven or eight years.
please explain the nature and character
of your experience with reference to canned
meats, more particularly canned roast beef,
called" said Maj. Lee.
Il have investigated and experimental in
the matter since 1S4S. The process of can
ming meat today robs the meat of all its
nutrition, leaving nothing but fiber, fat
and gelatine in the can. l consider it en-
frely unfit for human food. The govern
men chemist describes it as a mass of in
soluble matter. In the packing houses this
mass of insoluble matter would come under
the head of tankage and would be used as
fertilizer. There are thousands of expert
ments in all colleges, known to all scien-
fists. to show that animals fed with it will
starve to death. Canned corn bee"
Col. Davis-"I object to any testimony
strictly to the objects of the inquiry
Maj Lee-'I believe that at times the
questions of the recorder have gone out
side the subject of the inquiry. | wish the
witness, of course, to keep within bounds.
Diseased Cattle Slaughtered.
In reply to Maj. Lee the witness stated
that he knew where O'Maleys 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 carcasses going after
ward to a canning establishment. He
would not give the name of the concern
unless the firm denied it. The cattle had
pleuro-pneumonia. This occurred eighteen
months before DIR. Devoe took charge of
the bureau of animal industry at the stock
yards.
How long will canned roast beef keep"
''If properly canned it will keep for TWEEN
ty years.
The witness stated that the present pro-
cess robbed the meat of its nutriment and
the steriliZing feature of it generated gas
which tainted the meat.
rs fresh beef prior to or during ship
ment, directly or indirectly, treated with
any chemicals?'
"A man would be a fool if he did not
treat it chemically under ordinary refrig
Grafton, because meat going from here 10
London could not be sent there under the
dino E n
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 We're done in
telligenty.
Canned Meat Analysed.
DR.. E. Z. Murdoch. who was for two
staff in the Chicago health department and
is an analytical chemist, was the next wit
ness. He stated that he had made several
examinations of both canned and refriger-
ated beef dating back several years The
character of the canned meat, in Dr. Muir
docks judgment, was largely poor grade or
rather low grade. Two of the cans con-
taned but a very small quantity of muscu-
lar tissue, which is the nutritious portion
of the beef. The examination was contin-
ued by the boiling of the meat in a retort
to see how much beef extract could be
taken from four pounds of it, The amount
produced was so small that 1t was not per-
ceptible; it was not enough even to be used
as a culture medium in experiments in
bacteriology.
With reference to the examination of
fresh beef the witness said that at three
different times there were brought to him
pieces of what seemed to be ordinary meat
from the markets, which evidently had
been kept for some time, presumably in a
refrigerator
Il found salt in very small quantity"
I1r 1Tn1y n
was coated with boracic acid In other
specimens l found that they had been
coated with preparation of salicyIic acid
for preserving the meat. l gave the opinion
that Saicylic acid was not only detrimental
TO digestion, but produced nausea Boracic
acid, while in itself not nauseating DELAYS
the process of digestion, and hence is not
d lit preservative for meat used as diet"
Found Chemicais In Cans.
Il understood this to be refrigerator beef:
found boracic acid in two specimens and
salcylic acid in one. These experiments
were made about the middle of June, 1895"
Col. Davis-'Had it any connection with
the government"
Il don't know that it had"
Was 1t delivered to you by any one con.
nectcd with the government? Had he con-
tract relations with the United States?"
4 don't know that he had
In connection with your duty as officer
of the health department, what have Won
found to be the practice among the butch
ers of Chicago to the use of preserya-
tives?"
They don't use preservatives very much;
for certain classes of meat they use some
classes of preservatives; in fresh beef there
is not much need for preserVatives Meat
that has been kept for a time and exposed
once or twice becomes slightly tainted and
that taint is frequently removed with BIZ
carbonate of soda, and sometimes by dip
ping pieces of meat into hot solution and
then placing it Immediately back in the re-
frigerator. a hot solution of boracic acid
which simply coats the outside, will re-
move the taint from meat
Was either of these samples rendered
you by any one connected with a packing
house?"
Il was not at liberty to inquire into that
matter; I was simply consulted as a scien-
tist on that subject"
Had you any occasion to think or sus-
pect that they came from packing
house?'
We'll, don't believe scientific man is
expected to go into those supposable
things
Gen. Davis-'In what quantities did you
find chloride of sodium and saltpeter in the
canned beef you examiner"
Il did not make a quantitative analysis
but there was a large amount, more than
Ordin1 rlv cooking -