Evening star., 1899-04-13
Report Upon the Meat Samples
Collected in the West.
CHEMISTS BEFORE COURT OF INQUIRY
Prof, Wiley and Dr.. BigeIow
Called as Witnesses.
PRE- RV VATIV E A CID 5

The chemical phases Of the beef inquiry
were under consideration by the court at,
the Lemon building today. DR.. FL. w.
Wiley. the chief OF the chemical division of
the Agricultural Department. in person pre-
sented the report made to him by his as
sistant DR.. BigeiOw. who was the scientific
adviser of the court on its tour of investi-
CATION amcug western packing houses last
month The report showed that the sam
pie Obtained had been analysed and were
sound and nutritious. The canned roast
beef was described as having a far greater
nutritive va.ue-as high as 30 per cent
than an equal weight Of fresh beef
Dr. Bigelow also appeared and told of the
use of acids as meat preservatives.
General Wade stated this afternoon that
the count Will not be ended this week, but
the report is being perfected. so that 1t can
be submitted very shortly after the last
witness mas been heard.
Covered with crystalline Scales.
Rudolph Spicer Of Harrisburg. Pa, one
of Gen. MEes' Witnesses. was the first in
the chair this morning. He is young un-
dertakeT, ami uses a cane 20 aid locomo-
ton He was in Company |. 4th Pennsyl-
vania Volunteers during the war, and went
TO Porto Rico on the transport City of
Washington Coming at once TO the point,
ne IGStiIls-l IRdL CdilItu Ilieu eillu IOdSN
beef but no bacon. we're issued on ship
. board There We're two issues each of ma
tive and refrigerated beef during his period
of service in the island. The refrigerated
meat covered with green slime ana
crystalliZed scales. Several inches of putrid
flesh had to be cut off IL before II could De
cooked The presence of crystals was due.
he thought then and now, TO the use of
boric acid. He said that this acid Is much
used to embalm bodies, particularly those
a =
to collect on the surface of the flesh. He
ate the beef on one occasion and was made
sick Mr.. Spicer said this meat had pc
cuiar taste. and one meal OF 1t was all ne
could induce himself 10 take. great deal
of the canned roast beef had been thrown
away. and. he said. he never saw solid meat
in any of these cans. II was strinsy ana
bad, and the men could not endure 1t as
food The contents of most of the cans
were Shiny. He said the siX-pound cans
had a better quality of meat than the two
pound article.
Official Chemical Reports.
Prof H W. Wiley, chief of the division
of chemistry of the Department of Agricul-
ture, who was present, was theD sworn
and his report of the chemical work, per-
formed under his direction for the court,
was produced by Recorder Davis and read
Prof. Wiley's assistant. DR.. Bigelow, ac-
companied the court, as its scientific ad-
wiser during the tour of invest igatiOn. and
upon his return made MS report To Prot
Wiley. VINO handed it 10 the court for its
Information.
This report states that in compliance
with instructions from Secretary Wilson OF
the Agricultural Department DR.. Bigelow
went TO Chicago. Omaha and Kansas City
with the court Two days were spent in
Chicago Investigating the packing houses
of Armour & Co, Swift & Co. and Libby,
McNeili & Libby. In the latter place an
investigation was begun which was re-
peated in i've other packing houses. y
batch of fresh beef was canned under DIR.
Bigelow's observation and samples taken
for subsequent examination
The report goes on to state that the
weight OF fresh meat employed at the lat
ter place was Ii3 pounds. This meat was
taken entirely from the fore quarters of the
beef and represented ali of the meat on
the fore quarters except the shank, which
Is sold for soup bones. and the third rib.
Mhlch Is placed on the market as such
The rest OF the quarter IS carefully bOned
as much of the fat and gristle as practica-
BILE is trimmed away. anu the meat is boil
ed Tor a lew minutes for the purpose of
shrinking The I43 pounds used were
placed in a vat of water al a temperature
of 80 degrees CentigraGe tluj degrees FAN
renheitl- The addition of the cold meat
reduced tne temperature only about > or Is
degrees The meat was cooked for thirty
minutes, heated by live steam when il
Weighed Jz9 pounds, showing a shrinkage
OF III pounds. 1t was then placed on tables
slStlng Of fat and grist e TO the amount of
twenty-five pounds. were removed The
meat was then placed in twO-pound cans
Two ounces of Jelly of the following cnin-
position being added to each can.
oolldS I-I1 per cent: proteids 1901 Der
cent. ASH. --'4 per cent: sodium chlorid. / -,
per cent. IT. 4-
The soup liquor in which the meat was
boiled weighed about aG7 pounds ami VS.
composed follows:
solids v;s per cent; proteids. O.O1 per
Fbs.-.
Ns-i'' S'uiuih chiorld, "."4 per cent
Influence of Canning
The Influence Of canning on the cononosi-
tion Of beef is shown in a table In fras,,
oeel the parts. as given, are: Water 4s, 4.
protelds. lG22; meat bases. 1913; fat % 4.
ASH 30; sodium Chord. 43; undetermipad
49,; total. 7lsO w.
IN boiling there is extracted from these
the following: Water. 2U27; proteids ~.
meat bases. SO; fat rs; ash. ~. sodium,
ehiorid. OBS In canning there is added.
water, 80 proteids. 81; ash. OF: sodium
Chord, 3.ST an
LoaSt peel Is. Proteids. 1913: meat bases
20: ash, SIS; sodium Chord. 3g2
tne composition of canned roast beef as
~ oete- ui-AeI D! analysis. Is: Water 3iI3 g.
pr0tGds' lVt4; meat bases. So; fat - ~
ASH - sodium Chord, 5.I;s; undeterminad
90, total, Jt4O " Ai''u'
6Rd
loE a tiIne 10 permit Dr. BigeIow to ba
summoned 10 the court. When he arrived
t1i 80 i1aH Deen sworn, Colonel Davis con-
tllueo MS laborious task, Us the document
NGrSIs q Srelt many npewritten pages.
me report states that in general The
eSihposlion OF the samples received from
t.e eOGEt oi inquiry closely reseInbled those
canned before DR.. B.gelow one same
Sds FOUND that differed very materially
@ @tfoi! aho'her put up by one firm and
DouSnt IN open market. DR. RiseIov- se,ys
ne Is Forced 10 the conclusion that the bro
eess OF canning. as exhibited by the first
mentioned sample. was not the same which
produced The sample from the same firm
IeCeIEed IFCm The court of inquiry The
suggestion Is that it is inferior The re-
Poft states that the greater part OF the
Se!auh touhd in the canned beef Is due,
hot 70 the gelatin added In canning but TO
IlA formation from collagens in the con-
noctlse tissues during processing" The
average sarinkage was about 10 per cent
IL detracts nothing from the muscle-forn
ing element of the meat. The only sub
stances removed are water. fat soln6Ie a sb
ana meat bases OF these fat is supplying
luei Tor bodily heat and the meat bases
nave same value Il tonic can of IN