Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1907-05-18
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.

Chicago Is not the only place that
IL suffering from the indiscrininate
sale of tubercular and lumpy Jaw beef
and from trichina hogs.
The National capital itself Is men.
aced by this awful food as the fol-
lowing. taken from the Chicago Daily
News. of Apri! II. 1907, testifes:
Especial Correspondence of The Chi
cago Daily News.)
Washington. ID. c., April 15.-The
recent discovery that tuberculous cat.
tie. condemned for dairy purposes.
were being slaughtered and sold 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 scn-
sation in the national capital, but the
facts were fully verified and has led
to a strengthening of the local inspec.
ton service which may hereafter re-
quire that condemned cattle shall he
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. 1t 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 a state. ex.
cept for the provisions OF the State
and municipality and the vigilance OF
their officials. Following the invcsti.
cations ut Chicago by Messrs. Neill
and Reynolds for the President, II 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 untiring 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 a
united effort on the part Of the health
officials to trace the causes OF typhoid
fever, tuberculosis aud other mortal
diseases, particularly deadly In the
District OF Columbia. Examinations
by health experts on a dairy farm In
Virginia, near Washington, led to the
discovery OF seventeen cases Of tuber-
culosis In the dairy herd.
The bureau of animal Industry OF
the department Of agriculture has re-
peatetliy 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 Oh hogs alone
to the packers as result Of this con
demnatlOn was $3,OOO,OW annually
The bureau never ceased to declare
that abattoirs having no inspection
could not possibly avoid the purchase
Of diseased carcasses.
Under the meat-lnspection law, ~
It now operates. intrastate shipments
Of diseased carcasses slaughtered BY
small butchering establishments no
engaged In interstate or foreign com
merce are not inspected, and, inferen
TALLY, are subject TO the same suspi
cion which the government formerl!
had on larger establishments engages
In interstate and foreign trade which
similarly, had no government inslTc
ton. 1t clearly behooves 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 neglect o
duty and by failure to supplement tn
national laws and inspection service
guarantee only to the foreigner AM
their neighbors in other States exemI
ton from the use OF diseased meats
LEROY 4. VERNON.
~
The Chicago Examiner In Its maj
ket report, published April II. 1907
said:
"Speculators at the Stock Yards ar
paying 81 and 50 per head for thou
sands of condemned calves and tn
trade IL making inquiry as to thei
ultimate destination. Packers have
habit of purchasing big droves o
calves at $3.50, stlpulating that on
In five Is to be thrown out at 81
When the inspector comes around b
condemns everything under 100 pound
and then the outside speculator get
busy buying up the condemned delega
ton at 2 and 3 cents per pound. oh
yously he could not afford TO pa,
such prices II he were taking chance
on a subsequent rigid Iost'mortem In
spectlOn, and the trade Is OF the opin
ion that much Of this veal gets int
food channels. Either the countr.
shipper or the consumer Is being I'm