Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-06-06
NO ANIMALS ARE FREE
FROM ALL INFECTION
Chief Of Bureau Says Miscros.
copic Study Would Reveal
Lessons In Each Animal.

aNoxVxxS All A0VA kAlx4IkNx
If the veterinary inspectors in the
employ of the government fulfilled
their work according to the ideas of
most people, there would be no meat
left for Inc table use of those same
people. Practically everyone has the
idea that when traces of disease are
found i'm a food animal, the entire car
'cass of that animal must be ON
,demned. DIR. Melvin, chief of the bu-
reau of animal industry, attempts to
set aside this belief in a circular letter
he is sending out. DR.. G. A. Johnson.
the circular.
The circular begins by denying tina
diseased meat is passed for food. 1t
,esents the criticism that has been
h.apcd ON the government.
The only foundation for such state
ments.' says DR.. Melvin. chief of he
bureau of animal industry, lis that the
healthy and wholesome meat of an an
imai affected Slightly and locally with
some disease is passed, after the at
fectcd portion has been removed and
condemned. The G or flesh may not
be affected in any particular. the dis
ease being usually confined to certain
ton is condemned; only The healthy
portion is passed for food.
This procedure is justified and sus-
tanned by the highest scientific author
tiles not only in the United States, but
IN an countries having an efficient
ually come from those who have not
made a study Of comparative pathology
and who are nOt qualified to pass upon
the questions involved, and sometimes
they come from those who oppose the
use of meat at all as food and who
lUiSh fN .1ionra1t% a. S o..:t Liz
way.
Would include All Meat.
THE idea of eating the meat OF a
slightly diseased animal may be re-
5ulsive to some. but a little considera-
f1on should readily convince q reason
able person that there is no valid rea-
son for condemning and wasting per-
fsctly wholesome meat simply because
there happens to be somewhere i'm the
animal a gland or an organ showing
"a lesion, or a parasitic module. or some
slight. local condition which does not
extend to or effect in any way the re-
mainder of the carcass. The argu-
rpent that all the meat Of an animal
affected to even the slightest degree
utterly condemned, If carried to the
extreme and to it's logical End. would
result in the condemnation of prac-
'scally every animal slaughtered and
TIE abolition of meat as food.
With the increasing cos. of the
r-ecessarics of life it become more inn
Icrtant that wholesome food should
not be recklessly and needlcssly dcs-
troyed. and it is the duty of this de-
partment not only to protect the peo-
pie against unwholesome meat. but to
conserve the food supply. The only
to determine at just what stage a dis
case OK abnormal condition becomes
noxious and where to draw the line be-
tween What hould be condemned and
w1at should be passed, always givins;
Il the consumer the benefit of any,
iGubt."
Meaning Of Disease"
As showing that the department does
properly safeguard the consumer, DIR.
Melvin refers to the report of a com
mission of eminent scientists outside
the department of agriculture who
were appointed in 1907 to consider and
wake recommendations with regard to
certain features of the meat inspec-
tion. and who said on.this point:
The commission would invite atten-
ton to d Very widespread misconcep-
ton as to h significance of the word
diseased i'm connection with meat
inspection. To the popular mind
the idea of eating diseased
animals is abhorrent. From the
o.NAl0l1NAuC vi IIICdl lIlSpCCIlOu, HOW
ever. the term diseased must be
used in Il sense not entirely in harmony
with the popular conception of this
word.
All Have Lessons.
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 microscopic study,
be shown to be absolutely free from
al infection or lesion IT. said animal
were presented to it for examination.
: There may be a strictly local
i2od tuberculosis consisting. for in
stance, of an isolated tuberculosis mod
ule III the lungs. i'm the liver. or I'm some
Other portion of the body. Such module,
would make the particular point in
fected diseased from the standpoint
ot meat Inspections: in the opinion OF
some members of the laity. such nod
ule would also make the entire meat
the condemnation of the entire car
cass; from the standpoint of meat in
spectioi, the carcass in general would
not be diseased and there would be
no justification i'm condemning it.
'"The veterinary Inspector. in judg-
irg whether a carcass is diseased
must do so upon the general principles
Of pathology in its relation to the pub
lie health and not upon n pre-con-
ceived, exaggerated, or sentimental
idea.
The commission would suggest that
the cooperation of the public is most
valuable i'm aiding in the suppression
Of frauds In the meat trade. but tina
j. would be we'll for the public to have
confidence In the ability of the veter-
mary inspectors to pass Judgment upon