Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-01
Experience on the Transport Rio de
Janeiro.
CANNED MEAT FIRST SUSPECTED
Nearly Three Hundred Persons Suf-
fered From Eating It.
REPORT OF CAPTAIN FRY

officials of the War Department are very
much surprised over the report that large
number of men of the Both Volunteer In
fantry We're poisoned by eating bad beef
on the trip from San Francisco to Manila
on the transport Rio de Janeiro.
Surgeon General Sternberg has received
a report in regard to the matter from A.
sistant S9rseon c. W. Fry. who accom-
panied the regiment. In his report Capt.
Fry says:
Capt. Fry's Report.
Il assumed charge of the transport at
Honolulu. There were 673 enlisted men ana
tNenty-six officers of the Both Volunteer
Infantry. under command of Lieut. Col l..
H. Plummer. on board, bound for Manila
The health Of tie troops was excellent I'M
til October ~. when twenty-five cases Of
castro enteritis occurred among the troops.
The symptoms Were those of ptemaine pol
soning. and at the time were attributed to
the use or the canned goods which were
purchased by the men from the commssarV
stores on board the transport. Under this
impression further sale OF the goods
forbidden. On the evening Of October >!
and the morning of October "a, 2Sa enlisted
men and two officers We're suffering 10 a
greater or lesser extent from ptomaine poi
soning'
After describing the symptoms the sur
geon refers to one particular case Of an en-
listed man. named Cleary. who died of eN-
haustion eight hours after being attacked.
He explained:
ut might be we'll to state that in this
particular case was evidence of destination.
and he was undoubtedly addicted to the use
of morphine. He was an old soldier this
being his third enlistment. which was a
grave mistake. DIS he was physically I'M
able to perform the duties of a soldier.
Poison in the Fresh Meat.
I'm the greater number Of cases we be-
BILE did not exist in the use of canned goods
After a careful inquiry among the COM
pany commanders, l found that all who
were i'll ate fresh meat. issued To the men
at mess. The only two officers who were
attacked were the two who ate at this par
ucular mess. We became convinced that
in this fresh meat ptomaine poison existed -
Dr. Fry. while at sea sent a letter to
the adjutant of the regiment. stating he
had no doubt of the existence of poison in
the meat, and he recommended that it be
no longer used, though there We're some
who entertained the opinion that the meat
would be all right If trimmed Thereupon
the adjutant of the regiment issued an or
der forbidding the OF the meat. After
1t was discovered that the meat had become
tainted 1000 pounds were thrown over
board, and on the arrival of the vessel at
Manila $500 pounds more We're thrown
away.
Court of Inquiry Likely.
1t is expected that Gen. Otis will appoint
court Of inquiry to investigate the matter
and fix the responsibility for the service OF
the alleged tainted beef
No report has been received by the COM
missary general on the subject and the
only explanation he can offer for the COM
plant is that the ice boxes in which the
pee1 was packed were not properly looked
after and that it became tainted on the
voyage. All the commissary officers are
confident that the meat was in good condi-
ton when stored on the transport.