East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-05-16

meat inspection, and who said on this
point:
The commission would invite at
tention to a very widespread miscon-
ception as to the significance of the
word diseased in connection with
meat inspection. To the popular mind
the idea of eating diseased animals
Is abhorrent. From the standpoint
of meat inspection, however, the term
entirely in harmony with the popu-
lar conception of this word.
"The commission could easily under
take to show that not any single ami
NAL used for food in any part of the
world would, upon miscoscopic study
be shown to be absolutely free from
all infection or lesion of said animal
were presented to it for examination
There may be a strictly To-
called tuberculosis, consisting, for
instance, of an isolated tuberculous no.
dule in the lungs. in the liver or in
some other portion of the body. Such
nodule would make the particular
point infected diseased from the
standpoint of meat inspection; in the
opinion of some members of the latiy
such nodule would also make the en-
tire meat of the animal diseased and
call for the condemnation of the en-
tire carcass! from the standpoint of
meat inspection, the carcass in gen.
eral would not be diseased and there
would be no justification in condemn
ing it.
The veterinary inspector, in judg-
ing whether carcass is diseased,
must do so upon the general prin.
ciples of pathology in its relation to
the public health, and not upon any
preconceived, exaggerated, or senti-
mental idea.
THE commission would suggest
that the cooperation of the public is
most valuable in aiding in the sup
preston of frauds in the meat trade
but that it would be well for the pub
lie to have confidence in the ability
of the veterinary inspectors to pass
judgment upon the purely technical
side Of the questions involved, since
such judgment can be of value only
when expressed by persons especially
trained for this purpose.
illustrative of the precautions
taken by the department of agricul-
ture to safeguard the public health,
it is the opinion of the commission
that the Bureau of Animal Industry,
acting under the existing regulations.
would necessarily condemn certain
meats which would be allowed, either
with or without restriction, according
to circumstances, upon the markets
of Germany, France, England and
other countries
DR.. Melvin states that under the
federal inspection it is only when the
disease is slight and localized or cir
cumscribed that the unaffected por-
tions of the carcass are passed for
food. Whenever the disease is gem
eraliZed of disseminated throughout
the system, or is of such character or
extent as to effect the wholesomeness
of the meat, the entire carcass is con-
demned-and the consumer is given
the benefit of every doubt. Careful
experiments carried out by the bureau
and by scientists elsewhere have
shown that the germs of tuberculosis
are not carried in the blood circula-
ton and distributed throughout the
system until the disease has reached
a very advanced stage. 1t is there
fore considered perfectly safe, when
the infection is clearly limited to
certain gland or group or glands or
an organ, to remove these parts and
pass the healthy parts which have
not become affected in any way by
the disease.