Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1907-05-04
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
Is suffering from the indiscriminate
sale Of tubercular and lumpy Jaw beef
and from trichina hogs.
The National capital itself Is men.
accd by this awful food rs 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.--Thc
recent discovery that tuberculous cat
tie. condemned for dairy purposes.
We're being slaughtered and sold for
food in the markets of Washington has
emphasized the necessity of extreme
watchfulness OH the part of State and
city food inspectors in all parts of the
country. The discovery created sen.
sation In the national capital but the
facts were fully verified and has led
To Il strengthening of the local inspec-
ton service which may hereafter re-.
quirc that condemned cattle shall be
absolutely destroyed In the presence of
the inspectors.
When the meat.inspcction law was
passed by Congress 1t provided solely
for the inspection Of meats for inter.
state and foreign commerce. 1t was
specifically pointed out ut the time
that intrastatc 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 tho vigilance OF
their officials. Following the investi.
gations ut Chicago by Messrs. Neill
and Reynolds for the President, 1t was
pointed our In these columns that re-
lief Of the local markets from the sale
Of diseased meats could not bo 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 untirlng 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 q
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
discovery Of seventeen cases OF tubcr.
culOsis In the dairy herd.
The bureau Of animal industry Of
the department Of agriculture has re.
peatedly called attention to the growth
Of conta glous disease In animals used
Tor food. Previous to the passage Of
the inspection law, experience In the
large abattoirs inspected under federal
suffering from tuberculosis and many
other diseases were prevalent in pro.
portion. The annual loss on hogs alone
to the packers as result Of this con.
demnat!on was S3,OOO,OOO annually.
The bureau never ceased to declare
that abatto!rs having no inspection
could not possibly avoid the purchase
OF diseased carcasses.
Under the meat-inspection law, as
It now operates, intrastate shipments
of diseased carcasses slaughtered by
small butchering establishments not
engaged in interstate or foreign com.
MERGE are not inspected, and, inferen'
TALLY, are subject TO the same suspi.
cion which the government formerly
had on larger establishments engaged
In interstate and foreign trade which,
similarly, had no government inspec.
ton. IL clearly behOoves the meat.
producing States and the cities OF the
country, In the light Of the recent ex-
perence of Washington, TO redouble
their vigilance, else they may right
fully be charged with neglect OF
duty and by failure to supplement the
natlona! laws and inspection service,
guarantee only TO the foreigner and
their nelghbors in other States exemp-
tlon from the use of diseased meats.
LEROY Il. VERNON.
~
The Chicago Examiner in its mar
ket report, published April II, 1907,
said.
Spectators at the Stock Yards are
paying :. and So per head for thou
sands OF condemned calves and the
trade is making inquiry as to their
ultimate destination. Packers have a
habit OF purchasing big droves OF
calves at $3.50, STIMULATING that one
In five j. 10 be thrown out at ~.
When the Inspector comes around he
condemns everything under 100 pounds
and then the outside Spectator gets
busy buying up the condemned delega-
tl0n at and 3 cents per pound. OBJ
viously he could not afford to pay
such prices II he were taking chances
on subsequent rigid post'mortem in
spection, and the trade Is OF the opin-
Ion that much OF this veal gets into
food channels. Either the country
shipper or the consumer Is being i'm