Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-13

all other places where food products
are sold, on whole, are lacking in
cleanliness, and in a number of in
stances the foods are handled in
filthy surroundings.
The health officer made personal inves-
tigation of the majority Of these places in
question because of allegations recently
made by the assistant secretary of the De-
partment of Agriculture to the House COM
mittee on agriculture regarding the ex-
tremely insanitary condition Of the local
markets, provision stores etc.
DR.. Woodward places the blame for the
alleged uncleanly conditions upon the in
spectors of the health department. He
charges that they have no proper concep-
ton of the duties which they are called
upon to perform, and recommends immedi-
ate remedial legislation to improve the sit
uation.
DR.. Woodward's report is voluminous. He
states that some of the markets and stores
are satisfactorily clean and the others are
palpably dirty.
Condition of Ice Boxes.
The health officer agrees with the assist
ant secretary of agriculture regarding the
insanitary condition of the ice boxes which
are located beneath the floors the chief
point of criticism apparently being the abb
sence of ventilation and their almost in
herent dirtiness as at present constructed"
He says relative to these boxes that when
person descends or ascends the ladder
leading into such ice boxes the dirt from
his shoes necessarily falls into the ice box.
Drainage often affects the ice boxes, it is
added.
Mr.; Woodward also criticises the tubs in
which beef is corned. He says they COM
pare favorably with the bins in the meat
houses of the packing establishments in
which salt meats are kept. Neither, he
maintains, appear to be clean. He also said
there Is general insufflciency of proper
lavatory facilities in connection with the
markets and stores visited by him. These
facilities, he adds, ARE generally absent,
and when present are practically made
quate. Even where lavatory facilities had
been provided, soap and towels were usu-
ally absent" He also says that the reports
that some of the markets are infested with
rats are true, and remarks that it is desira-
Die, from the standpoint of public decency
and possibly from the standpoint of public
health, that food supplies be protected from
flies and other vermin.
Need for More Inspectors.
In one of his requests for more inspectors
DIR. Woodward says the inspection force of
the health department should be increased
so as to permit more frequent inspections
and the clerical force Of the department
should be increased SO as to release the
health officer and the chief inspector from
petty detail Office work and to enable them
to spend more time in making inspections.
inspectors"
In referring to the recent criticism of
Assistant Secretary Hays, DIR. Woodward
says:
while the greatest stress is laid nv the
Department of Agriculture upon the con-
ditions surrounding the sale of meat, vet
as matter of fact there is, l believe less
danger In connection with the sale of this
article than in connection with the sale of
fruits and of certain vegetables and other
articles of food. The exposure of meat to
air under ordinary city conditions hastens
decomposition, whether the air be that of
the street or that of the market or the
store. But like exposure tends. too. to
spoil fruits and vegetables. And If meat
is more prone to decomposition than are
the other articles referred to, yet the
decomposition makes itself more conspicu-
ously manifest by changes in color, odor
and texture, and the meat becomes more
promptly and definitely unstable than do
fruits and vegetables. The decomposition of
meat and fish may result, under suitable
conditions, 1t is true, In the formation
of more or less poisonous substances, COM
monty grouped under the designation
'ptomaines,' but the formation of those
fish and other articles that present no
tangible evidence Of decomposition depends
on conditions other than mere exposure to
the ordinary contamination of the market
and store; otherwise ptomaine oisoning
would be much more frequent than 1t is.
In a Clearly Manner.
1.-The relatively great Importance of mar
nla n,l.,
berries, grapes. etc; such vegetables as eel
cry, lettuce, cress, etc.; and such articles
as butter, cheese, bread, ETC., arises. how.
ever, not only from the relatively greater
instability of decomposed meat and fish
but also from the fact that the cooking
process which meat and fish undergo effec.
tually sterilizes the surface; II not, the en-.
tire substance, while there is no way OF
steriliZing even the surface of such fruits
vegetables and articles as those named
above. And against the possibly greater
danger incident to the ingestion of pto
maines with meat and fish, We have to off.
set the fact that the germs consumed with
fruit, vegetables, etc. are living organ.
isms, and II conditions be suitable NAV
| multiply within the human body and thus
do harm. II they are of harmful varieties
while ptomaines do not thus multiply II
we are to be consistent therefore, we musI
| insist on the cleanliness of fruits. veg.
etables. etc, that are to be eaten uncooked
quite as much, II not even more than upor
| the cleanliness of meats; and with the disap
pearance of market stalls on louisa ma
avenue. sales direct from farmers wagons
| at markets or from hucksters' wagons or
| the streets, would be thing of the past
| So also would be the exhibition of such
1 fruits. vegetables. etc, in front of grocery
and provision stores And any evidence
4 that would justify such a radical reform
| would lead necessarily to radical reform
also in the keeping. handling and selling O,
| meats fish, fruits. vegetables bread but
| ter. etc. within markets and stores Fo,
| certainly the danger of street vending 4
1 there be danger. Is only relatively create,
| than incident to vending in markets and
| stores. and the remedy should go to th.
\ root of the evil. In order to determjn.
| whether the evidence warrants a reyolutior
| in the prevailing methods of selling good,
a careful analysis must be made of the eyi
i dence sumbitted.
| DIR. Woodward refers to the relation n
| uncleanliness of markets and stores to dis
| ease.
| As to Death Rate.
| I'VE may seek greater cleanliness" h,
| states. "for its own sake. but not with an,
buoyant hope of reducing the death rate.
| Cleanliness Is essential to decency. ac
| cording TO modern standards of living. bu
concerning the relation between uncieanli