The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-16
CANNED MEAT WELL ROASTED.
MANY SOLDIERS MADE SICK FROM
1T IN PORTO RICO.


in IL, and the Same Animal was
Found In the Canned Meat-No Nu-
triment Left in the Meat That was
Canned.
Chicago. March 15.-Dr John b. Shaw
of Joliet, ILL.,, surgeon of the Third Illinois
Volunteers, testified before the army beef
inquiry court to-day that on the voyage
from Newport News to Porto Rico, canned
roast beef was issued. and there was
great deal of complaint about 1t.
1t was strlngy, pupy and nauseatings
and did not seem to nourlsh the men.
Much diarrhoea followed the use of it.
The witness attributed the sickness to
ptomaine poisoning. He believed pto-
maines would develop in the hot sun in
five or six minutes after can was OPEN
ed. If the meat were properly sterilized
ptomaines would not develop.
While in Porto Rico, twenty-five miles
from Ponce, the matter of rations was
taken out of the regiments hands to "a
great extent. Gen Grant seemed TO know
more about 1t than anybody else. Tho
witness took no particular interest in this
matter because Of the action Of Gen.
Grant
THE law required the surgeon to SUPER
wise the cooking and that which is issued.
Did you interest yourself to ascertain
what was being issued to the enlisted
mem"
Had TO Bury "A Lot OF IL.
1--WE saw what was issued and took II
because we could not get anything else.
We had canned roast beef nearly all the
xaybtl nj ba 10 on 1
was ordered condemned and we buried a
lot OF It, one of the men said II we did
not bury It, It would bury us. A board OF
survey was ordered but ! never heard
anything more about It.
"As 20 the refrigerated beef very little
of u was used, as at least three-quarters
OF II would have to be cut Off | do not
think any chemicals had been used on the
meat. IL was simply spoiled. The meat
had undoubtedly been acted upon by the
heat which had softened It. The fat and
greast and gelatine had all intermlngled
with the fibre"
Under cross-examination, DR.. Shaw told
about being called out one night to look
after the men of Company A, who were
reported to have been poisoned by eating
canned roast beef. He said they vomited
fearfully and II Eeemed that hypodermlc
injections of morphine would hardly re-
Iieve the pain. They were sick for some
days afterward with great deal of diar-
rhoea and intestinal trouble.
"When the men ceased eating the cans
ned roast beef was there any improve-
ment7' asked Maj. Lee.
''Yes: the canned roast beef generally
gave them diarrhoea and gastro-enter-
tits"
Said They Would Have to Eat IT.
"Dd the commissary come around
and find out how these things were?"
"He came several times and told us IL
was all right. think 1t was Capt. Piper,
He told us ii was all right and we would
have to eat IT. Sometimes we substituted
what they called bacon, but a great deal
of that had maggots In It and had to be
condemned. If we had depended upon the
army rations the troops would have starv-
ed TO death The spent all the money
they got buying things TO eat, either at
the commissary store or in the city"
What was the brand on this canned
roast beef?"
II think IL was Libby, Mcneil & Libby:
am not sure. / tried to eat some OF Ii.
but could not; 1t was absolutely revolt
ing"
George Lees, another witness, gave his
occupation as that of a packing house ex-
pert, putting up machinery and apparatus
for large packing houses. He said he was
familiar with the classes of Gamer cattle
delivered In Chicago.
what are 'cannersY " asked Mai. Lee.
What Is generally termed Gamers are
very inferior class of cattle; / think
one-third of them would be condemned i'm
any English market. Chucks ana some
times meat scraped off the plates ara
used for canning"
about what per cent. of nutriment
would be left In the meat that goes lrr
the CAM"
Little or none"
Found Nnggots in the Cans.
William II. Replogle testified that he
served in the hospital corps In Porto Rico,
and that canned roast beef was frequent-
ly served to the corps. He had seen three
or four cans opened with maggots run
ming out Of them. The witness stated that
at Guayamo he saw a piece of cooked fresh
beef which had maggots in It.
In reply 20 Maj Lee the witness told OF
the sickness of one Thompson, who had
nothing whatever to eat the first day after
landing. The second day he was given
corned beef and hard tack but had no
way of making coffee. The man became
very sick and died within a week.
Capt. D. II. Boughton, Third Cavalry,
testified that in his command the officers
drew the same rations as the men while
in Cuba
"The complaint about the canned beef
he said, was that the men could not eat
the meat and would not eat II unless alb
solutely compelled 20 do so to appease
hunger When the cans were opened the
first thing that struck the observer was
the repulsive, uninviting appearance oc
the contents.
Canned Meat UnwhOIesOme.
do you consider canned roast beef
wholesome for the American soldier?''
ut is exceedingly unwholesome. Ii
tastes like chips, There is no sustenance,
and the fat and grease are absolutely re-
pulsive."
Col. Henry L. Turner, who went to Cuba
In command of the First Illinois Infantry,
and became brigadier general OF the Sec
ond Brigade OF the Third Division of The
Fifth Army Corps. was the next witness.
In reply TO Maj. Lee, the witness stated
that he had tried to eat some of the can
ned roast beef, but il nauseated him and
he could not do II. 1t certainly was unfit
for a ration in a warm climate. He re-
garded 1t as a contributing cause for the