Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-16
Another Ground for Objection.

"A more rational basis for objection to
the marketing Of undrawn poultry would be
the supposed development in the bodies of
such poultry of peculiar decomposition
products resulting from contamination By
the intestinal contents. The immediate re
suits of removing the viscera from a fowl
directly after killing 1t as follows:
Il Cooling Is FASTENED (a) by reason of
the removal Of the warm viscera. and the
consequent reduction in the bulk to be cool
ed, and 90 by reason of the exposure 20
the cooling Influences of the surrounding
air a surface very much larger in proper
iion to the mass remaining to be cooled
than IS the surface OF an uudrdwn fowl to
the entire body.
80. Certain foreign matter. the contents
| OF the intestinal tract, is removed
3. The surface of the cavities from which
| the Viscera are removed are exposed t.
contamination in the process of eviscera-
ton and in the subsequent handling OF tho
body.
Not Regarded as Dangerous.
The decomposition products in undrawu
poultry cannot be very dangerous: other
wise there would not be such a noticeable
dearth of reported cases of food poisoning
in which the victims had eaten poultry. nor
an almost entire absence Of Literature con-
corning the relative advantages of the mar
keting of fowls drawn and undrlwu.
In the rather hurried. and admittedly IN
complete, investigation which has been
made Incident TO the preparatiou of tins
report references have been found To cases
of poisoning resulting from the cousump-
ton of beef, veal and pork in various
forms. but no case met with IN which
the occurrence was traced to the eating
OF poultry. Nor is game such as is uni
formly marketed undrawn charged so far
as / am informed, with any undue respor-
sibility for cases Of food poisoning. and
that Notwithstanding the practice of some
gourmands of eating certain varities high
And the same may be said OF the smaller
varieties of hsh such as are always brought
to market without the removal Of their
Viscera.
"On the whole therefore, It seems to NE
that the presence of vlscera and of other
contents in the bodies Of poultry, game
and fish cannot be said TO be in itself
dangerous. 1t may, however. be safely
said that there Is no substantial reason
for believing that the presence OF the in
testinal contents is of any sanitary adyan-
tage, and certainly they are Objectionable
flom an aesthetic standpoint.
Last Point Considered.
The last point TO be considered, 50 lar
the sanitary aspects OF the case are con
cerbed, is the effect OF laying bare a very
large area of the interior of the body
which necessarily results from the removal
OF the viscera- The naturally exposed sur
faces of the body are made up of structures
well adapted 10 prevent putrefactive organ
isms from entering the tissues either dur
ttS Ire or after death. and, therefore, 50
long these surfaces remain unbroKen
the structures of which they are composed
tend to prevent and to delay decomposition
Surfaces of the body that exposed ar
tihcially are, however. not adapted to tiiat
end; nature did not design them with any
such purpose in view. Hence in any case
decomposition proceeds more rapidly
through raw surface than through the
Unbroken skin.
so far as / am informed no commercial
necessity exists for the enactment OF the
proposed legislation TO prohibit the sale OF
undrawn poultry. The matter seems to reg
ulate itself. citizen who desires to usa
drawn fowls can purchase his poultrr in
that condition. and the citizen who desires
fowls undrawn can obtain them
Recommends Amendments.
DR.. Woodward has several times recently
stated his belief that fowls intended sor
the market can be kept in the best condi-
ton for the longest time by having little
II any food in either crop entraiis, this
condition being secured by starving them
just before killing, and he closes his report
with a recommendation for the amend
mcnt which has been made condition or
their approval Of the bill by the Com
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