A PICTURE OF MEAT INSPECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13643, 12 July 1906, Page 10

A PICTURE OF MEAT INSPECTION.

The . utliority of the United States Inspeot> s does not, Extend to Meat for I miesi.ic Use—'The Conipleto inetlie:'ncy and Consequent Corruption of Ihe local Inspection—A National Danger and llic Remedy.

Bv W. K. .Uques, M.D. Formerly Director of tho Chicago Municipal Laboratory, City liaeteridlogist, and head of the meat inspection at tho Chicago .Stockyards, and How a practising physician in Chicago.

Tho packing houses are the kitchens of the nation, and they ougiifc to be clean. They arc very far from it. Chicago is tho mother of the packing industry, and it is probable that tho conditions existing in some Chicago packing houses arc duplicated in other States. It. is necessary to acquaint the public with some of tho menacing evils to tho health of Ihe whole nation now prevailing in Chicago before the much-needed lemedy can bo found and applied. For a greater question luces tho public th?n the taking ol rebates or thy raising of prices— namely, tho cleanliness, payability, and safety of meat products. The fow cents U'hicn illegal combination can place oil apsund of meat is of siriall importance compared with the danger to the public if that meat is diseased or contains poisonous toxins.

I am hiking up this subject from the point of view 'of a private citizen and physician who consumes, with « million others, tho products of the packing houses. What I write is based upon persona! knowledge and experience, part of which was gained while I was acting as Director of the Municipal Laboratory and City Bacteriologist of Chicago, :i position to which 1 was certified by the Civil Service Cornmiisioii, and wliieh I lieltl (or M months.

Wilhiti a general ion tlfe work of slaughtering domestic animal.; and converting jl'Mii iuio food products has lieen gathered into a few centres, Ilv the aid cf rcfriseralion, by improved methods, and by' the utilisation of by-products, a few men" have been able lo dominate the meat supply of the nation. It is no longer a matter cf choice with consumers: they must buy the product.* of the packing houses of these men or go without.

I regret the prominence necessarily given in a treatment of this subject to the Chicago packer, who is hut one of a largo class handling meal on iis way to I lie 1:011siirnor. If he sdls diseased meat, lie only passes 011 what the farmer and stock-Miser sell to him; lie followi; the commercial law of buying at. the. cheapest and selling at the highest price. The methods which he lias instituted are far better than those that previously existed, and wliieh still e.ikt outside of tho packing house. He produces the finest meat ill the world, as well as other things. It may be, and probably is. true that not all packers, sausage makers, and animal owners are offenders, but some will go to the very limit iu obtaining emaciated and diseased materials to convert, inlo food products for sale. The packer is tlm middleman who handles meat- fur profit. Tho search for possible disease in thin meat is not his concern nor his duty. If tlio public havo eaten diseased meat in I'm past, are eating it now, or continue io eat, it in the future, it will bo because ihey do not fake adequate means lo keep ii out of the food supply.

Inspectors Who Do Not Inspect My interest in contagious diseases, with special regard to their restriction and prevention, including tho subject of general sanitation, led to my appointment as director of tho Municipal Laboratory of Chicago. When I began to work for the city. I found the meat inspectors largely following their own sweet wills. I was their official head, also Director of tho laboratory, City Bacteriologist, and chief of the Chemical Laboratory, of milk inspection, and of medical diagnosis. When appointed, I was informed by the Commissioner of Health that I need not givo up my private practice of medicine. Although four 111011 could not do well what work there was to he done, yet I was free to practice my profession.

During the first month in which I wa6 city director, one meal inspector mado only one condemnation for that month, and that of an immature calf. Another inspector made no report to mo of any work done during my entire term of office, and I was powerless tp conipol him to do so liecause of his political backing. It is needless to say that be drew his salary regularly. Still another meat inspector was engaged in a profitable side-line of buying quarantined beef for packers. When an animal was suspected of being diseased, it was quarantined by the Slate inspector. If it was found not to lit- diseased it was passed, sold at autiion. and the money given io the owner. This was the story' for the public, and seemed satisfactory until I found that the bids were not open, butmade in writing—ami favoured bidders usually got tho meat. The fact that- meat bad been suspected and quarantined wae snHicicnt excuse for the low price at which it was hid off.

Since a meat inspector, in his official capa-eity. could ride through the stockyards, pick out- the finest Iwef, order it quarantined, and have it killed, bidding it in for about half-price, of course, his services were valuable to the firm employing him. Tim system of securing bids in writing, opened only by tho "ring," is still in existence. The unfortunate owners of these quarantined animals, which might be as fine Jx'ef as ever came into the yards, arc usnnily located in some distant State, where they are utterly helpless to learn the truth of tho situation.

Two of the four meat inspectors were engaged in the practice of veterinary mcdicine. Tho third attended a medical college, and graduated while acting as meat inspector. This comprised the mighty bul. wark which was legally empowered to stand between the public f md diseased meat. Thq Responsibility for Inspection When T was in formed that I was the responsible head of meat- inspection at the stockyards I was astonished. having supposed the United States inspectors were supreme in the disposal of diseased meat. I took measures at. once to find out tho extent of my responsibility, and was given substantially this opinion bv the city law department: that the destruction of diseased meat is a Stale function, but that this power was given to the City of Chicago in its charter.

The paragraph in the city ordinance governing- the condemnation of diseased moat rejuls as follows: "All meat condemned in tho city by Government or State meat inspectors shall bo destroyed under the supervision, and subjcct. to tlio directions., of the city meat inspectors, and the eitv meat inspectors, or any one of t.hem. aw hereby empowered to seize, condemn, and destroy any tainted or unwholesome meat found in the city, and the city meat inspectors, or any one of them, arc hereby empowered to enter any building, structure, or premises in the city to inspect, and examine anv meat contained therein." The Faroe of Government. Inspection I found that the Federal inspectors were condemning considerable meat, and sending it to the rendering tanks, and when I confronted them with tuv interpretation of the law, tliev admitted that they could not legally send the meat to the tanks, but that, it was done under the threat that, if it Were not. permitted. Government inspection would Iv withdrawn from the objectin!;' packers. The Federal inspectors could inspect, and pass meat, for export, but, instructions given them by the Federal laws distinctly state that all condemned meat must be quarantined and set aside " To bo disposed of according to the laws and ordinances of the State and municipality in which it is fouiid." Therefore the only legal power to destroy meat was, nud if, in the hands of

the city meat inspector?. Their authority supersedes that- oi. both Government aSnl State inspectors.

Government inspection is only ah the packer's reouest. State inspection is dearly illegal in Chit-Ago: for the power of condemnation and destruction was given to t-hieago in its charier, and the.State legislature cannot delegate this function to a Jive-stock commission. Bur the State legislature lias been only too glad to assist the packer by creating a live-stock commission. This seizes suspectod and diseased animals, quarantine; and slaughters them, and gives the packer the opportunity of buying the moat (diseased and whrvcsoiiie) with the stamp of the inspector on it, at half price. t'avk.-nvtov.ii proper revers 'an area- of about- a mile squaw. Within these limits are tile large packing liousrs, and around the district, but not in it, are many smaller slaughter houses. Government inspectors are employed in ail tile packing houses that export beef, and usually thero is but one inspector on duty at tho killing beds of each packing homy. The accuracy and thoroughness of tlie work of these inspectors can be judged when it is estimated that from 1600 to 20C1U cert tic arc often killed htndor the eve of a single inspector in a day of from eight to fen hours. Walking hack and forth Ihrougli tkn killing beds i 10 inspector can givo only the briefest g.ancp at the animals that are being eonverted into food. In this glance'he is supposed to detect evidence; of disease which pathologists may require hours to find. Tho Government employs atmut, 170 people. Of these, about 50 are skiliod animal pathologists, capable of inspecting meats. There have bsen received at fho stockyards in a single day 150,000 animal", the slaughter of 50,000 is not an unusual day s work. And yet the packers and (.•cvcrnuK'nt inspectors say that "every animal is Government inspected." An Experiment with Koro-cno The supervision of the slaughtering ar all the smaller packing houses within the city limits or 196 square miles fails to the city inspector. The possibility of six men properly inspecting tho enormous quantity of slaughtering over such art area is absurd, liraity-tive could hardly cope with the situation under a vigorous and conscientious head. In addition to (his, fho city inspectors are expected to be present at the destruction of all diseased meat found by tile Government inspectors, and should also look over all meat passed by them. 1' took pains to ascertain if the Government inspection were sufficient to guard tho public. To this end I made frequent and unannounced visits to tho yards. On one occasion I was there at o'clock in tho morning, and visited the- Standard Slaughtering Company, the company which kills the diseased animals condemned bv the city government and State inspectors. I jaw a load of meat just leaving the place, but was not near enough to identify it. When I entered the lioui-.-, there was no one in sight; nor could I -find any one for 15 minutes. Then I found th--> watchman, who could not give me an£ information about anything. Hanging in the room in full sight, unguarded, and open to the public, were hvo siues of beef having on tiieni the slashes of tho State inspector and tho GovurniMtit tag of condemnation. But tho moat wes not under lock mid seal as reQuired by Government regulations, nor wan there any one to provent its being carried oil'.

I lojioriccl this matter to the Commissioner of Hoalth, w!io l'ccciveTr tho report without comment. ltenlising the trenieiiiloiK responsibility involved, outside of tho deiiMi-.ds of the laboratory, I asked the commissioner to relievo mo from meat inspection. He refused, with tho remark that ''Someone had to stand for it." I informed him that, if I "stood for it," I should see that no more diseased meat left, the presjnee of my inspectors in a condition which wouM admit of iis being palmed off on the public for fcod. After a conference viil'i the meat inspectors, I issued an order that every anir.ial condemned by them should either be placed in the tank lor fertiliser or sprinkled with kerosene. This was most unpleasant for the interests affected. 'J.'iiey raised every possible objection io the method, claiming that it tainted all other meat. My opinion v.as ilien, and il has noj, Leon olinngwl, that the use ot" a low grade of kerosene is the most effee'aiat method of condemnation that can be devised. Tho meat treated with kerosene cannot he used [or food, nor can tho fat be converted into butlerine, oleomargarine, and similar product.?. ' , I sent one of my inspectors to a slaughterhouse with orders to kerosene all meat lift found unfit; for use. He returned in a state of great indignation and excitement, savin;; that tlie iik>ii fought hard and long i.,> keep iiim from using kerosene.

"Wliy," suit! ho, "I draw out seven hogs that were diseased with cholera, and went 10 got my kerosene can. When I returned there wore only two left. 'Where are the oilier five':' I asked, ami the man replied, '0!i, they are in sausages by this lime.'" The same inspector, who was a doughty liti.le German, was graphically described 'by another who was mm to help him (is being found "at one end of a hog. pulling wirh all his might towards his kerosene can, while at. the other end was a little .low, pulling just as hard toward the sausage room." To the inspector it was a matter of duty; to the Jow a question of money. One ovher incident would go- to show that sausage advertised as '"Government inspected," is a uncertain article. Immediately following fiio passing of the moat l>y the Government inspector, the jjoef trimmers cut off all unsightly portions, bruised or injured places, enlarged glands or abscesses. I asked the inspector what was done with these trimmings. "Sausage," was his laconie reply. Can an inspector guarantee all the component parts of sausage when he examines the finished product? It is only necessary to refer to the boast of the packer that '"nothing is lost" to imagine what tho by-products of the packing industry may mean. What are called "trade secrets" means the selling of uneatable tiling* under palatable names. Tho Result of Stopping City Inspection My kerosene methods were effectual as long as i hey lasted, which was until my resignation. Then tho daily papers found something had been happening at the stockyards. "Reporters got the ear of t'tie Government inspectors, who assured them that all meat killed in the stockyards was

" Government inspected." It, was then announced through the press that, lire work of the Government _ inspectors was so good that city inspection was not r.ccessary. Consequently city inspection was withdrawn from that territory for nearly two years, and the only power was removed that could logallv destroy diseased meat in a territory whom millions of dollars' worth of food products are-turncd out to be sold to tho public annually. A change of administration resulted in the resumption of meat inspection August7, 1905. With two regular, and some temporary. inspectors, in less than five months more than oOO.OOOdoI worth of diseased and rotten meat, much of which had already ljoen passed by Government inspectors, was destroyed, a striking contrast, to the small amount of tile year before. 'This enormous amount was condemned in less than five months by a forcc of inspectors which could have seized but a fraction of what should havK been taken. For 92 mpnths previous, this inspection had been withdrawn; if it had been maintained during thai time, more than a million and a-quartcr dollars' worth of food might have been condemned, but was not. and must havo gone somewhere. Where did it' go if not- to tho public? -No Definite Standard of Condemnation.—

My experience revealed another difficulty, that-'of a standard for condemnation. Authorities differed on tho subject. One declared that when any part of the animal was diseased, it should all go into the fertiliser tank. Another said that only the diseased part need tie cut away. Still another would pass all meat if well eootad. The present health commissioner is having tho same difficulty. His recent decision is that if the disease is localised, tnlv ike diseased part need be cut away. f will venture the assertion that, though the commissioner of health will allow the flesh from an animal that has localised lumpyjaw to i>ass into the public food supply, he would not permit his familv to eat :>n ounce of it if ho knew it, The who kill and handle this meat will not cat- it.

I will also vonturo t\io asscriicm that. IE tlio finest restaurant in Amovica should vmblish on its hill of fare that its choicest roast beef was cut from an animal which had a email localised tubercular area, no physician would (line there, or permit l is patient.? to do so. Yet if this issue were brought to court, probably a hundred physicians would bo willintr to testify tliat such meat, if well rooked, would l.e harmless. The trouble is that more beef is served rare than well done. If all meats are well rooked, it would lessen the danger from disease, especially Eroin trichinea-in-festod pork. It is also well known to bacteriologists that the tubercular germ is one of the n:ost resistant thin.es in nature. Its hard, homy body resists extremes in temperature. The rules of tho Government require that lard rendered from tubercular hogs shall be boiled for four hours nt a temperature of 220deg. Can it. bo possible, then, that

roasi hoof and two-inch steaks from t.uber. eiilar cattle tiro safe food in a rare fctato? . No Bars Against Lumpy-pi-,v During m.v oxperion.-o I found 1 there was a largo number of animals coming into the stockyards with actinomycosis, a disease known as lumpy-jaw. The bacteria of this disease find Ilia caries of the teeth a suitable place to invade the tissues and cause a lump to form on the jaw. Ii is mildly contagions Imih to man and to animals. Tim characteristic lump makes the disease easily recognisable. The farmer and j he commission man both know when an animal has this disease, and yet lumpy-jaw cattle are sent to the stockyards for sale.

Formerly the packers bought all the cattle pent in. but- the loss from diseased animals proved 100 large. To eliminate this loss, the State Legislature was requested to create the Live Stock Commission, This commission is empowered to caitlo suspected of disease, and have killed. If they arc not diseased, or if the inspectors pass them, the meat is auctioned off and the owner gets what it brings.

This seems fair, but when the price at which tiie meat, is sold is less than half what it should be, or less afte" ii- is killed and dressed than it is on the hoof, then something is wrong. Investigation reveals that the bids are not open, but scaled, and favoured bidders get tno6C of the meat. The inspection of this meat, is very, lux, though it 'passes Federal. State, and eiiy inspectors. The rules of all these permit the passing ef this meat if the disease is not far advanced, or j[ it is encysted—that if. enclosed in a membranous sae. Cutting off the head of a. diseased beef removes evidences of the disease to tho non-expert. Then, as now. the Standard Slaughtering House kills this meat as well as other, noi, diseased, and in the cooling rooms, the identity may he lost. Here any hotel or restaurant- manager can secure as fine-looking beef us ever went 011 a table at a price that, will ensure him a line profit. This lumpy-jaw meat is sold in the market in competition with the best, beef, and I am certainly within the fact, when I say that every decent packer would be pleased to have all lumpyjaw animal killed and converted into fertiliser before thev leave tlio farm.

Here jet me emphasise this fact: that there is but one lime in the preparation of meat when effective ajid adequate inspection can tako place, and that is at the time of killing, when tho animal,is opened and all organs ate intact. Cert ain glands and portions of the viscera are most importantin the evidence, of disease. Unless time is taken to search for this evidence, a stroke of the knife separates it from the animal, and tho disease can then only be traced bv tedious methods.

When one considers the enormous amount d butchering done in Hie country and in other plates by ignorant won, the, value <•[ ihe government stamp on bsef is appreciated. But the value of that stamp must depend altocjcthei' on the thoroughness of ihe inspector's work and the genuineness uf the stamp, "U.S. Inspection. . . . Number . . stamped directly on the nioar, or on cheeseclot.ii pa-ted on the meat, chows the -approval o? tho Federal inspector. A similar rubber stamp costs about 85c. The case with which it can be duplicated, and the Difficulty after a stamp is on of proving who put it. there, makes tho stamp of doubtful value. The condemnation tag. about, the size of an express tasr, is fastened to the meat by a wire, as easily pulled out as it is pushed in.

Though Government inspection was at nrst intended oniy for export meat, a suspicion rife in the minds of the American public caused Ihem !o ask for moat thai had been inspected by the Government. Xou* the markets demand meat that lias passed Federal inspection, and the packer sells it at the increased price which the stamp permits. Tlio ease with which the consmiin- can be made io assist the packer in raising the prico cf beef and other meat is Rmazinj. lam informed that the Federal payroll at the stockyards amounts to over 18,C00dol a month.

It is impossible to say uudor present conditions how much diseased meat passes through packing houses. There is but one way in which anything like an accurate os:im»t« could I« made, and that is to have each animal, as it is killed, pass inlo tlio bands of a competent expert with good iight and ovory facility to make a complete examination. What is of (he greatest importance is ilmi the expert should be in-'' spired with a desire to recognisc disease when lie Ends it. If all animals to he converted into 100-i passed such an examination, and records were kept of the findings, it would then be possible to know wliat proportion of them are diseased. At present: only such as arc intended for export are required to pass such an examination, foreign (joyonimcntshave obliged us to inquire a rigid examination of all meats exported.

It can bo seen by these facts tliat (lis present system of meal inspection results jn a grading Ercordintf to the intelligence of tn<» jntondwl nisromnr. The foroignor gets the very licit, fov ho demand-. it and has exports to fee that he get?. it. The interstate t ratio gets fho nest £rade. lieef trimmers remove every visible mark of tliiiease, anil State lalioratories have not iho resources to examine dressed incai. What is left goes into the Chicago market. Bad moat, like a bad character, quickly loses its identity in a great city. There are three interests present at every meat inspection: The. first and most important interest is that of the public, and every man, woman, and child is viiallvinterested. The next interest is thai of the owner of the inspected meat, whoso position must bo judged by tlio commercial law of buying and selling. For example, ho buys 10 steers for 1000 dollars, and sends them, to the killing room for export. Two are condemned for tuberculcsis, and sent to the rendering tanks. Two hundred dollars loss is tho result of not examining iho steers and sending them to ;i killing room where no inspector is present. This is what the average business man must do if ho competes with others who do it. No source of profit, can ho neglected. The successful meat, merchant, selects for the heads of his departments men who get result?, and he pays thera accordingly. Tho third interest, and not tho least im|»rtant when considered in the light of results, 'is that of the inspector, who should bo a model of honesty and unyielding integrity.

Tho Federal inspector comes to his task at the request of the owner whose animals he is to inspcct, and with whom he comes in daily contact. The packer is a gcod fellow; a bright, sharp, generous business man. Ho owns stock in the street, nailways, tho banks, Ihe newspapers, and other important corporations, He may bo a millionaire many times over. Around him, at his command, are a thousand conditions which may influence the inspector. To say that lie would not he influenced by these conditions is to say that, he is not human.

To make the action of the inspector more uncertain, there is. as I have said, 110 welldelincd standard of conderiiniition. While. Govormnent instructions are clear and definite concerning export meat, the inspector is permitted to use his judgment about that intended for domestic use. A man's judgment is the result of his education. With the Government rules permitting the passing of tubercular moat, and authorities differing so widely regarding what is fit to cat, the inspector can justify himself for various standards. So he is between two interests: oil tho one hand is tho ever-present, dominating interest of the packer. To tank the man's sides of beef is like burning his 50-dollnr bills, On tho other hand is the absent public, fickle and ignorant. Is it strange that meat which the inspector would not cat himself goes to the public by the ton? Ineffectual inspection is the bane of Chicago. And inspection is ineffectual because it is hampered by graft. Tills decs lint refer to money only, but to favours of every kind. It means the turning of the back of tho inspector. It means sending him where he will not, inspect. It means "soft jobs" and political influence of every kind, vacations, theatre passes, railroad transportation, and a thousand other influences to which human beings are susceptible.

It is the graft of department'heads ihat is hardest to roacii. The man high uu always has many resources in time of trouble. The hands which reach out to him for graft must pull him out of the inire to save themselves. The terrible experience of the past few years has caused the busy Chicago citizen to dig the dust out of his eves and -put the responsibility For his afflictions in its proper place. The man who has the power to stay the fire ordinanco must be responsible for the Iroquois horror that results. It ousht not ever to be possible that the quality of the nation's meat should depend on the conscience of a Chicago politician. The Remedy.

The loss of the condemned meat is the vital point in this serious situation. It should be borne by tho;e who are responsible for the disease or unfit condition, whether the stockman who raises his cattle in unhealthfnl surroundings, or the shipper, who by carelessness causes cattle to arrive at destination crippled or dead. Every apimal found diseased should be traceable by tag. or marking, to its original surroundings. The money loss from disease! specimens should result in the improvement of tho cattle sent, to market. Disease in animals, even more than in the human family, is tho result of living conditions which produce susceptibility to infections, particularly tubertulcsisi

To determine the extent and kind of diseases. there should be adequate inspection at. the time of slaughter, with records of the findings, that this information may he used for the improvement of the whole live stock industry, and the consequent safety, of the nation's food. Physicians alone know the importance! and value to the living of post-mortem examinations, particularly in obscure diseases. Without such examinations, no line of action will to effectual in relieving the present situation. As meat forms a large percentage of the food of the nation, its control should be as broad in effect. If the Government can regulate the manufacture and sale of tobacco and liquors, it can regulate the moat that is sold. The necessary funds may be obtained by licensing slaughterhouses in city, town, and country. Xo license should be issued until ilie killing place conforms ill all respects to the specifications of the Government. Without this universal regulation the prohibition of diseased meat in large packing houses will result, simply in the butchering of such animals it home where there is no inspection. The Bureau of Animal Industry describe? the country slaughterhouses as filthy and disgusting in tho extreme, and the remedy will fall far short- of what is nceci-'-sary if not applied to these as well as (ho 'arge packing houses. After license, there should he open and adequate inspection with rigid standards for condemnation, and certain destruction of diseased meat. And tho inspector, whether Government, State, or city, must he free from political influences if he is to protect the health of t-ho nation.