The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-11
City Bacteriologist Working
on Report-Dairymen to
Be Summoned
GASTON ANSWERS
DIR. ROBERT NELSON
Says Health Officer Admits All That
He Ever Charged-Thinks Veter-
marian Should Be Meat and
Milk Inspector

ldllt do " NHtllltI OT HOl tubtltuieti
meat is sold as food in Birmingham will
be held. Judge Lane stated yesterday
that it was unfortunate the agitation
over this matter had come up, as it was
all mistake and would do the city a
great deal of harm. as the word would
spread all over the country that Bir-
mingham was eating tubereular meat
E. NJ. Duncan, city bacteriologist, is
working on his report which will be sub
mitted at the hearing today, and which
will constitute the city's side of the case.
Judge Lane stated yesterday that all
dairymen or other persons who it was
believed could furnish any evidence would
be summoned to appear at the hearing.
The result of the hearing will be given
to the city commission in a report from
Judge Lane.
Castor May Not Be Present
1t was stated yesterday that Judge Zel
CASTOR, the man who started the agita-
ton about tubercular cows, would prob
ably not be present at the hearing to-
day. The diseased meat matter started
at the commission needing Friday, when
Judge CASTOR mentioned that he had
been informed that cows were condemned
for milk purposes but not for food pur-
poses, because they had tuberculosis, the
statement being made in connection with
a plea Judge Castor was making before
the commission as attorney for the dairy
mems association, in which they were
asking for reimbursement for the loss
of cows condemned by, the city because
they had tuberculosis. Judge CASTOR stat
ed that there were dairymen who could
prove this statement and these dairy
men will be heard today.
DR.. Robert Nelson, city health officer;
City Bacteriologist Duncan and other
health officials of the city. admit that
cows affected with tuberculosis are killed
for meat purposes. But they state this
is only when one or two individual glands
are effected and when the glands are re-
moved the rest of the carcass is cut up
for food. They state this is the method
followed everywhere, even by the federal
government in inspecting beef cows, and
that there is no danger in the method.
AS to whether or no- there is any dan
ger of tubercular infection to humans
by consumption of this kind of meat, is
the object of the hearing to be held this
afternoon before Commissioner Lane.
CASTOR Answers Nelson
Judge CASTOR wrote the following
letter yesterday:
To the Editor of The Age-Herald
had hoped l would not have to call
on you for further space, for the pur-
nf dicrncSine- ha a of fIIhprcII- II
lous infected cows, but / notice in The
Age-Herald of June 10 DR.. Robert Nell
son has, in small boy parlance, "butted
into" the matter, and l feel I should
refer to some of his statements, for,
like all those who voluntarily butt into
things. he at once becomes the loudest-
mouthed man in the whole crowd.
He says: II believe in the cobbler
standing to his own trade. Judge Gas
ton may know all about law, but he
does not know what he is talking about
in this matter"
Judging DIR. Nelson by his own words,
why does he not stick to his trade? 1
never thought or heard of him as a
COW doctor, or a veterinarian before. 1
had always been under the impression
he was a physician, practicing on peo-
ple-not cows. Then. if 1 am correct
in what l have heard of him, when and
where did he get his cow education?
He says, l do not know what I am
talking about in this matter. All | have
ever said was that cows condemned as
mixers on account of tuberculous in
fection were allowed to be sold as food
After saying that / do not know what
/ am talking about, he, in the very
next breath says, my statement Is true,
but that there is no danger in the con-
sumption of such cows for food, and
that he can prove it by every doctor in
Birmingham, and that 'indescri bable
harm" is being done by the publicity
given the matter.
In other words, apparently, in his
opinion it is all right to let people 60
on and consume tuberculous infected
cows, so long as you keep them ignor-
ant of the fact. but it is 'indescriba-
BILE harm" to let them know it. To me,
a bright idea, indeed!
'Idea Is Repulsive"
DR.. Nelson may. as he says, prove
that 1t is not injurious to consume
tuberculous infected cows, but he may
talk until the end of time, and he will
never convince the people of this city
that 1t is right to condemn cows as
mixers on account of tuberculous in
fection, and then allow those cows to
be sold as food. The very idea is re-
pulsive and nauseating in the extreme.
l can give DIR. Nelson an instance Of
"indescribable harm being done by
this course. 1t forces the poor dairyman
to sell his cows, condemned as mixer
to the butcher or packing house man
at almost nothing. for that dairyman
is prohibited from selling the milk
and then allows that butcher or pack
ing house man to saddle tNe meat of
that condemned COW on the people of
this city as first class food at a big
price. Now If DR.. Nelson can give me
a more glaring instance of ''indescriba-
BILE harm in this whole affair / should
like to have 1T. If it does 'indescriba-
BILE harm" for me to expose that kind
of an outrage, then | am proud of the
injury / have wrought. His whole ar
ticle smacks of the old saying, that
it is the hit dog that howls."
/ will say here l am sure the city
commissioners knew nothing of this
state of affairs l believe they will do
their duty by the people of Birming-
ham and stop this imposition on them
and that they will do justice to the
dairyman and stop this outrage on
them. In conclusion. I will say this af-
fair it seems to me should convince
every intelligent man that the office
of meat and milk inspector should be
filled by a competent, trained veter-
marian, and should be divorced from
that of the city bacteriologist Re-
spectfully, ZELL GASTON.
Birmingham. June 10. 1913.