New-York tribune., 1911-02-04
QUESTION OF CHOICE OF EVILS
Infection and Ptomaine Poison in I'm
drawn Poultry Discussed.

.
Sir: In your issue of January % appeared
quite an extended communication entitled
Marketing Of Poultry" siGno0 by Paul ~
Aldrich as editor Of The National Pro-
visioner." presumably trade paper. In
this he seeks to exonerate the sale OF un-
drawn cold storage poultry in reply 10 a
complaint against the same signed South
orn Woman
Mr.. Adrchs defence If this pernicious
trade custom sits down 70 a quotation
from Dr. Mary T.. Pennington, Of the
Bureau Of Chemistry Of ihe Department of
Agriculture. TO the effect that undrawn
poultry decomposes moro slowly than the
eviscerated type.
regret that present space does not
permit the proper exposition Of this suo-
iect. hut I may say here that Miss Pen
ningtons verdict is practically hers alone.
As for the verdict Of the trade on this
subject. there's reason"
Briefly IT may be said that the only
semi-scientifc defence Of Indrawn poultry
lies in the improved theory of certain ultra
hacteriologists that the opening OF the
visceral cavity and thus exposing increased
surfaces for bacterial contamination over
balances the undoubted ptomaine poison
ing OF tho undrawn cold storage product.
This. however. is not the case, for il Is
well known that the great bacterial store
house Of the carcass after death as during
life is the intestinal tract. and therefore
from here. more than from the air the
bacterial army emanates. Moreover, the
walls of the visceral cavity Of all birds and
poultry are largely bony and imperyious TO
bacteria.
The invasion Of bacteria. a. far as il
does proceed in meat products sufficiently
chilled or frozen, which IS infnitesimal eX-
tends from tho more rapidly decaying
visceral organs to tho edible tissues through
the vascular system rathe- than from the
air II there is one thing more than an
other that has been determined by bac-
teroogy, it is that bacteria find the most
favorable soil I'm the most degenerate or
ganic matter. not on smooth surfaces
which become desiccaIed and hardened by
the evaporation by the air to which they are
exposed. Another salient point Is that pu-
trefaction requires considerable moisture.
This is provided by the retained viscera
with all excretory contents intact. hut is
not by the smooth, dry and bony walls Of
the drawn poultry.
IN conclusion I wish TO emphasize the
fact that the real object and motive Of
preserving in cold storage and marketing
undrawn poultry IS far from being in be-
half of the dear people, the consumers
The trade reason for this custom is that
the watery contents of the hollow viscera
supply fluids 70 the edible tissues which
otherwise become greatly desiccated by
keeping. somewhat compensating for the
enormous shrinkage which occurs in these
and all flesh foods but move particularly
I'm the more succulent tissues Of poultry
the younger the bird the greater the
shrinkage.
Finally. II il were true. as Miss Penning-
ton postulates but which I hold to he un-
true. that the decomposition OF drawn poul-
try exceeds that Of the undrawn. the repre-
sentatives OF the people in Congress assem-
bled should lose no time in enacting laws
against the preservation II poultry for a
period exceeding two or three months. for
II is obvious that prolonged keeping IS un-
safe from the point of view Of the health OF
the consumer. and there is little choice be-
tween the ptomaine poisoning. intestinal
disorders and kidney disease due TO the
consumption OF the undrawn and the bac-
terial inspection OF the drawn.
All tests however with which I am famil-
lar other than Miss PenningtOn's show con-
clusively that aside from the loss Of weight
by shrnkage the properly drawn poultry
are much the better preserved. and more
over they are fit articles of food whereas
the undrawn are emphatically not III to eat.
one point | wish to waive. however. is
that the drawn bird cannot be preserved
as long as the undrawn. owing to the edible
tissues becoming so dry and dense as to he
woody. with bankrupting weight shrinkage
HOMER WAKEFIELD, NJ d.
New York. Jan. 81 1911