Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1907-05-11
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.


and from trichina 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. testites:
Especial Correspondence of The Chi.
cago Daily News.)
Washington. u. G.. 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 SEN
satlon In the national capital, but the
facts were fully verified and has led
tn strengthening of the local inspcc.
ton service which may hereafter re-
quire that condemned cattle shall he
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. 1t was
specifically pointed out at the time
that intrastate commerce was not
concerned In the provisions Of the law
and there Is nothing OH the statute
books to prevent diseased meats from
being sold In Washington, Chicago or
anywhere else. II slaughtered and ship.
ss.itl,tt els. fi,.A, ~
cept for the provisions Of the State
and municipality and the vigilance of
their officials. Following the invcsti.
cations at Chicago by Messrs. Ncill
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 ana 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 u
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 II dairy farm In
Virginia, near Washington. led to the
discovery OF seventeen cases VI tuber.
culosls In the dairy herd.
The bureau Of animal industry Of
the department Of agriculture has re-
peatedly called attention to the growth
OF contag ous 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 We're prevalent In pro-
portion. The annual loss on hogs alone
to the packers as result Of this con-
demnatlOn was $3,OOO,OOO annually.
The bureau never ceased to declare
that abattoirs having no inspection
could not possibly avoid the purchase
Of diseased carcasses.
Under the eat-lnspection law, as
1t now operates. intrastate shipments
Of diseased carcasses slaughtered by
small butchering establishments not
engaged In interstate or foreign COM
merce are not Inspected, and, inferen-
TALLY, are subject To the same suspi.
cidh which the government formerly
had on larger establishments engaged
In interstate and foreign trade which.
similarly, had no government inspec-
ton. 1t clearly behOoves the meat
producing States and the cities OF the
country, In the light OF the recent ex-
perience of Washington. to redouble
their vigilance, else they may right
fully be charged with neglect of
duty and by failure to supplement- the
national laws and inspection service,
guarantee only to the foreigner and
their neighbors in other States exemE-
ton from the use OF diseased meats.
LEROY Il. VERNON.
~
The Chicago Examiner in its mar
ket report published April IA, 1907,
said:
Spectators at the Stock Yards are
paying 81 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 droyes OF
calves at $3.50, stipulatlng that one
in five Is 10 be thrown out at 81.
When the inspector comes around he
condemns everything under 100 pounds
and then the outside Spectator gets
busy buying up the condemned delega-
ton at and 3 cents per pound. OBJ
ylously he could not afford to pay
such prices II ne were taking chances
on a subsequent rigid pOst-mortcm In
spectlon, and the trade Is Of the opn-
ion that much OF this veal gets into
food channels. Either the country
shipper or the consumer is being i'm