The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-12-08
DR.. Van Els GAVE
INTERESTING TALK
SUBJECT or MEAT INSPECTION
AND SANITARY SLAUGHTER
HOUSE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH
BY THE SPEAKER AT GRAND
FORKS LAST NIGHT.


Grand Forks Herald The public
health committee met last evening. the
speaker Of the evening being DR.. l.
Van Els, head Of the veterinary depart
ment of Agricultural college. The
subject OF the evenings address was
Meat Hygiene, and DR.. Van Es spoke
particularly of meat inspection and
the sanitary slaughter house. Unfor-
tunately there were number Of other
attractions booked for the evening
with the result that a much smaller
audience heard DR.. Van Els than
should have been present. Several
members of the city council, members
of the Civic League, a number Of
butchers, and a representation of the
professional men of the city made up
the audience and all enjoyed the able
address of the speaker.
DR.. Van Els was introduced by G. f.
Rudsger OF the Public Health league
Before launching into his subject the
speaker called attention to the fact
that the function of government is to
protect the people, not only from for
eign enemies, but also from internal
enemies, such as the enemies of public
health. The individual is practically
powerless to protect himself in these
matters and the government, national
state and municipal, must give him
safe environment In the matter of
the public health the food supply and
its condition Is of tremendous import
ance. and of the foods no one thing
Is more important than meat.
Meat has become a common form of
food and although some claim that the
people OF the country should not eat
so much meat, it is nevertheless a fact
that meat is being eaten In large guam
titles. Meat is easily affected in ways
that are Injurious to public health.
Meat may be infected in four ways, by
parasites. by infectious diseases. by
changes, ii the meat Immediately after
slaughter and by qualification.
DR.. Van Els next took UP each of
these methods Of infection and showed
how easy it is for this infection to be
carried to the human body. To illus
trate tubercular infection and also to
demonstrate the now established med
ical fact that animal tuberculosis can
be transmitted to man, he showed two
wax casts OF hands OF Berlin, Germany,
patients affected with animal tubercu-
losis. the infection having been in
Cured Ia the process of slaughterins
animals. The speaker also pointed out
that the ordinary methods of slaugh-
tering and handling meats are gem
orally crude, TO say the least, and in
lection il not only possible, but highly
probable.
a. Ma a Enl
To remedy such condition meat In.
spection should be instituted. DR.. Var
Es showed that meat inspection is not
by any means a newly introduced fad
He pointed out the fact that meat in.
spection exists in Germany and othe
European countries long before il WA
taken. up in this country, the real cause
OF the United States taking up the sub
ject being the fact that Germany de-
manded better meat shipments. To be
effective meat inspection requires the
inspection of the animal before
slaughtering Inspection after slaugh
tering and supervision over the meai
while 1t is in storage not being con
Quoted under circumstances as favor
able. Inspection Of the animal after
slaughtering is by far the most i'm.
portant feature of meat inspection bun
the inspection of animals as they stand
often works out better for both the
butcher and consumer and saves the
butcher the time and trouble OF kilIins
an animal that must be condemned
after II is killed.
Passing on to the subject OF the san.
itary slaughter house Dr. Van rs
pointed out the self evident fact thai
meat inspection under the present
slaughter house system with several
different slaughter houses, is practical
" impossible. He then explained at
length the municipal. or public slaugh-
ter house of which Germany has some
700. DR., Van Els urged the import
ance under such conditions of having
a meat inspector who is paid an ade-
ouate salary and can devote his entire
time to the inspection of this import
ant article OF food. The speaker told
OF the necessary equipment of the san
itary slaughter house and Of the va
rious methods under which the prob
lem had worked out