Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1907-06-15
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 indiscriminate
sale of tubercular and lumpy jaw beef
and from ttichina hogs.
The National capital itself Is men.
aced by this awful food rs the fol-
lowing. taken from the Chicago Daily
News. of April IL. 1907. testiies:
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 sch.
satlon 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 be
absolutely destroyed in the presence Of
the inspectors.
When the meat.lnspectlon law was
passed by Congress 1t provided solely
for the inspection of meats for inter-
state and foreign commerce. II was
specifically pointed out ut the time
that iutrastate 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. cN-
cept for the provisions of the State
and municipality and the vigilance Of
their officials. Following the invcsti.
cations at Chicago by Messrs. Neill
and Reynolds Tor 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 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 Il
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 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-
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 abattolrs 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 result or this con
demnatlOn was $3,OOO,OOO annually
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, a!
1t now operates, intrastate shipments
OF diseased carcasses slaughtered b!
small butcherIng establishments no
engaged In Interstate or foreign com
merce are not inspected, and, inferen
TALLY, are subject to the same suspl
cion which the government formerl!
had on larger establishments engages
In interstate and foreign trade which
similarly, had no government inspec
ton. IL clearly behooyes the meat
producing States and the cities OF tn
country, in the light OF the recent OK
perlence of Washington, to redoubl
their vigilance, else they may right
fully be charged with neglect
duty and by failure 10 supplement- tn
national laws and inspection service
guarantee only TO the foreigner AM
their nelghbors In other States exeml
ton from the use of diseased meats
LEROY Il. VERNON.
~6A
The Chicago Examiner In Its maj
ket report, published April ii, 1907
said:
Spectators at the Stock Yards ar
paying So and So per head for thou
sands OF condemned calves and I'll