Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1907-06-08
Chicago Is Not the Only City with
tuberculosis, Lumpy Jaw and
Cancerous Beef.
The National Capital Menaced by
Tons of Food of the Char
acter Named.

" suffering from the indiscriminatc
sale of tubercrlar and luinpy jaw beef
and from trichina hogs.
The National capital itself Is men.
aced by this awful food Us the fol.
lowing. taken from the Chicago Daily
News. of April IL. 1907, testiiies:
Especial Correspondence Of The Chi
cago Daily News
Washington. ID. c., April 15.-The
recent discovery that tuberculous eat.
tie condemned for dairy purposes.
were being slaughtered and scld for
food In the markets of Washington has
emphasized the necessity of extreme
watchfulness on the part of state and
city food inspectors In all parts of the
country. The discovery created a sen.
saticn in the national capital. but the
facts were fully verified and has led
60 a strengthening of the local inspec-
ton service which may hereafter re-
Qure that condemned cattle shall be
absolutely destroyed in the presence of
the inspectors.
When the meat.inspection law was
passed by Congress 1t provided solely
for the Inspection Of meats for inter.
state and foreign commerce. Ii was
specifically pointed out at the time
that intrastate commerce was not
concerned In the provisions of the law
and there Is nothing on the statute
books to prevent diseased meats from
being sold In Washington. Chicago or
anywhere else. II slaughtered and ship
ped within the confines Of state. ex.
cept for the provisions OF the State
and municipality and the vigilance Of
their officials. Following the investi.
cations at Chicago by Messrs. Neill
and Reynolds for the President. 1t was
pointed out In these columns that re-
lief OF the local markets from the sale
Of diseased meats could not be had
without an application of the most
stringent regulations and inspection.
The discovery In Washington during
the past week Is illustrative OF what
can easily happen and what may be
expected In any community. despite
the untlrlng efforts Of health officials
to prevent the sale of bad meats In
city markets.
The discovery of this condition In
Washington was brought about By
united effort on the part of the health
officials to trace the causes OF typhoid
fever, tuberculosis and other mortal
diseases, particularly deadly In the
District OF Columbia. Examinations
BY health experts on dairy farm IN
Virginia, near Washington. led to the
a discovery OF seventeen cases Of tuber-
culosis In the dairy herd.
The bureau OF animal Industry OF
the department of agriculture has re-
peatedly called attention TO the growth
OF contagious disease in animals used
for food. Previous to the passage Of
the inspection law, experience In the
large abattoirs inspected under federal
supervision showed 3 per cent OF hogs
suffering from tuberculosis and many
other diseases were prevalent In pro-
portion. The annual loss on hogs alone
to the packers as n result OF this con-
The bureau never ceased to declare
that abattolrs having no inspection
could not possibly avoid the purchase
of diseased carcasses.
Under the meat-inspectlon law, rs
IL now operates, lntrastate shipments
OF diseased carcasses slaughtered by
small butcherlng establishments no
engaged In interstate or foreign com
merce are not Inspected, and lnferen
TALLY, are subject 10 the same suspl
clon which the government former!.
had on larger establishments engages
In interstate and foreign trade which
similarly, had no government inspec
ton. II clearly behooyes the meat
producing States and the cities OF tn
country, in the light OF the recent ex
per!ence Of Washington, to redoubl
their vigilance, else they may right
fully be- charged with u neglect o
duty and By failure to supplement tn
national laws and inspection serylc'
guarantee only TO the foreigner an
their neghbors In other States exemI
ton from the use Of diseased meats
LEROY II. VERNON.
The Chicago Examiner In its maj
ket report, published April II, 100,
said:
"speculators at the STOCK Yards ar
paying 81 and So per head for thOr
sands OF condemned calves and tn
trade is making Inquiry as to thei
ultimate destination. Packers have
habit OF purchasing big droves Q
calves at $3.50, stipulating that on
In five Is to be thrown out at =
When the inspector comes around b
condemns everything under 100 pound
and then the outside Spectator get
busy buying up the condemned delega
tlon at and 3 cents per pound. Oh
viously he could not afford to pa
such prices II he were taking chance
on a subsequent rigid post-mOrtem in
spection, and the trade Is Of the oplI
ion that much OF this veal gets int
food channels. Either the countr
shipper or the consumer Is being in