The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-03
SERIOUS DANGER
IN MEAT SUPPLY
Poor Inspection Service Men
aces the Public Health
NEW LAW is IMPROVEMENT
Chief of Inspection Service Declares
That Criticism of Meat Inspec-
ton Has Been Unfair and
Betterment Is Certain.

A. ID. Melvin, chief of the United States
bureau of animal industry, in his annual
report to the secretary of agriculture.
has the following to say with regard to
the meat inspection:
During the past fiscal year there were
inspected at the time of slaughter 30. e72.-
ofe animals, and OF these there were con-
demned because of disease or other con-
d1tions l41,05 entire carcasses and 500. 62s
parts of carcasses, making a total of
over 100000 animals condemned In whole
or In part In addition there were con-
demned on reinspection nearly 25 100000
pounds of meat and meat products which
had become unwholesome since inspection
at the time of slaughter.
The meat inspection has continued TO
grow IN volume and has reached the
point where further extension Is impos-
sible without an increase in the appro-
priation by congress. The expenditures
ON account of this work during the fiscal
year amounted to about s2,sS4,00o out of
an appropriation of s9,00O.Ooo. At the
close of the year the rate of expenditure
was higher than at the beginning, and
1t is now only by the strictest economy
that the service can be maintained ON
it's present basis without additional
funds
With the additional authority given by
the law the bureau has been able to bring
about steady improvement with respect
to sanitation. New packing houses have
been built so as to embody the best mod
ern sanitary construction. and great i'm
I'm DO in =
condition of the older plants. The latter
are being gradually abandoned for the
erection of modern plants which may be
kept at a proper standard of cleanliness
with less labor and expense. AS a result
of this Improvement there has been a
considerable decrease in the amount of
meat condemned because of insanitary
conditions. 1t has also been found that
where clearly methods are employed
there is much less reason for the use of
personalities than under the old condi-
tons
High Standard.
A constant effort has been made to
keep the service at high standard of
efficiency and to make improvements
wherever possible. Notwithsta nding the
efforts to give the public a reliable in
spection, however, the service has been
made the object of unjust attacks Se-
rious charges made against the service
at East ST. Louis by former employee
were carefully and thoroughly investi-
gated and were found to be without any
real foundation. but to have their origin
in personal animosity. full report of
l. inv
department. In other cases the attacks
have proved to be due to ignorance or
misconception of the facts, failure to
understand the system of inspection, or
a desire to cause sensation.
Thorough investigation of number of
reported cases of ptomaine poisoning at
tributed to inspected meat has failed to
disclose single instance in which the
trouble could reasonably be ascribed TO
undertaken largely because of assertions
by manufacturers of preservatives to the
effect that the enforced discontinuance
of preservatives was responsible for
great increase In the number of cases of
ptomaine poisoning. The bureau has fail
ed to find any Justification for such ar
suments. In three cases of extensive ont
breaks In schools it was found that the
trouble was really typhoid fever and in
one of tbese INSTANCES - n,oa,.oa -.
a., -. - -.-. ,p, ''ia'
~ posoihs was
circulated with view to concealing the
real cause. Another report of death
from ptomaine poisoning from eating
CANNED meat nroved IN hava or;.i,a+a,, -
~. ;,.a.dn,+;.., - .e- "
pouo'' ""o aoh io"iouseo 1iiat IL was
untrue. The FAMILY had in fact eaten
no canned meat, and the attending ply
slclan oenieo that there was any evil
dehce OF ptomalne poisoning.
Snoiled Meat Eound
rp -. -,
,-s~ - nea.
,1as Ae ~ ~ .. n'''rso.ion Ms WAS
.snr, '1iiuo,Hneu as I'M
yra,I"1 ~ "'hoii -ies.
uy ' ~ 80, INC meat Was
e .''e - ns h'pec'eo anu
40, Neu Wy ing inspec.ors ana
ssas ..s INV n'Sa eonoi'ioh arose
49,. p" 49,. ~, 10y hio"s mat meat
- ~ spo 'r.,, ~ naspeIeioh osii
sua s., an'oe Ina. II VIII roiiaih ~hoiesoihe
oIn, III, consuiheo.
ness INSTANCES aie sufficient 10 sno"
pupiisneo reportn renec.ius upon the meat
inspection. Inc reg uiations are based not
oniy upon tne ki2"ieose ana experience
oL the bureau s.aii' out upon the ADVICE
~ insn soieh.iho , ao''ioii.ies ou.siue Oh
the inspection force are carefully selected
through civil service examination, and