Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-04-03
WELL COOKED MEATS
CARRY NO MICROBES
Foot and Mouth Disease May
Be Communicated Through
Milk Is Report

washington, April 3.-IOnsuners
even in states quarantined for foot
and.mouth disease, need have no fear
of eating meat today, providing it is
thoroughly cooked. This reassuring
words is given in a bulletin just issued
by the Department Of Agriculture.
The foOtand.mouth disease is not
easily communicated to human beings
through food, although milk from a
diseased COW might transmit the
disease to a human being, Pasteuriza-
ton, however, renders milk safe.
Human beings who do get the disease
commonly get it from direct contact
with the diseased animal. II is wisest,
therefore, says the department, for
people to keep away from all animals
having the disease unless they are
properly provided with rubber gloves,
coats, and boots, and these are thor
oughly disinfected after each visit to
the animal.
In the case Of meat, as in the case
of milk, the department points out, all
herds which actually show the disease
are quarantined, and neither milk nor
meat from the sick animals can be
sold. Sixty per cent of the meat used
in this country is produced in the
nearly 900 federally inspected slaugh.
tering and packing establishments
located in 24O cities. In these estab-
lishments no animal is slaughtered un'
/ til it has passed an ante-mortem in
spection by veterinary at the time
of slaughter. After slaughter meat
cannot leave the establishment unit
it has been carefully examined and
stamped "U. s. Inspected and Passed.
In all these establishments no animal
showing any symptoms whatever OF
foot.and.mouth disease is allowed tC
20 to slaughter, and no meat, which
shows on port.mortem inspection, any
suspicious symptoms Of this complaint
can be shipped out of the establish
ment. All meat suspected Of coming
from an infected animal is sent under
government seal to the tanks to bt
rendered into fertilizer. The fedora
inspection stamp on meat, therefore
means that it is entirely safe.
The federal government, however
has no jurisdiction over local slaugh
ter houses which do not ship meat out
side the state in which it is slaugh
tered. If, however, meat from suel
an animal did escape from one Of thes,
local slaughter houses, which are pure
ly under state or municipal control, al
danger of its communicating th
disease to human beings would be re
moved when it has been thorough,
cooked and sterilzed. Those who ar,
located near an infected region an,
wish to be absolutely certain Of tn
safety Of their meat should cook i
thoroughly.
The most promising American sourc
Of potash, says the Department in |
bulletin just issued, is the annual crol
Of giant kelps on the Pacific coast
Working maps have now been mad
Of nearly all the commercially avail
able kelp beds from The Cedros islnnI
to N. Shumagins, of tho Alaskal
coast
The area Of these beds aggregate 4OI
square miles, capable of yielding an
nually, either as dried kelp or as pur
potashiom chloride, over six times th
present consumption Of soluble potasl
salts in the United States, or some
/, thing more than the worlds tota
. production.
"The development Of a great Amer
lean industry based on the conserya
tion and utilization Of this importan
! natural resource, Of fundamental i'm
portance to the national agriculture
interests seems now TO be matte
Of time only" says the department
Investigation by the department ha
also shown the waste fish refuse Of
the Pacific coast. including Alaska
, approximates 10000 tons annual,
and can be made TO yield 10000 ton
of fertilizer and 100000 gallons o
oil worth Al 500 600,