THE GLASGOW CONFISCATIONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13841, 22 December 1908, Page 8

THE GLASGOW CONFISCATIONS.

EXCELLENT MEAT WASTED.

The sensational confiscation of 20,000 boxes of New Zealand boned beef, valued at £15,000, in Glasgow, by Inspector Trofter, continues to be the subject of condemnatory reports by meat experts and bacteriologists. Following on the reports of two medical authorities, who declared the condemned beef good and wholesome even after several gays' thawing Dr. C. C. Douglas, M.D., D.Sc. (Public Health), F.R.S.E., examiner in public health toi the University of Aberdeen, bacteriologist toy 1 the corporation of Greenock. etc., has now presented an equally favourable report of the condemned meat. Reporting on his examination, he says -. "Each box was fully opened, and the contents were freely cup up for the purpose of inspection. The mjeat consisted almost entirely of bull meat, and was of a dark, red colour, cold and hard to the touch, and with the odour of recently dead flesh. In the contents of none of these eight boxes could any discolouration be perceived, nor any disagreeable odo,ur. Even in the track of the testing guage there was no unpleasant smell. . . . When a portion was warmed with a little water in a porcelain basin over the water bath, it gradually turned a light brown, and gave out the odour' of ordinary steak m the process of stewing. Odours of putrefaction are readily detected on warming food in this way, yet no trace of anything unpleasant could be detected. . . About 100 grams were minced, and ... a strong beef tea was obtained of normal appearance and odour, and of excellent taste. I partook of a portion of this without experiencing the slightest discomfort. A portion stewed tasted like ordinary steak, but was coarser T in flavour." Altogether the doctor examined, for different butchers, over 40 boxes of beef, and he declared them all sound, except that one sample (No. l 3) had a faint sour smell, and another (No. 4) was less firm that the others and a little darker in hue. Four samples of the meat were finally examined for | ptomaines or products of decomposition. The doctor reports : — i "About 100 grams of each were analysed for ptomaines by repeated and thorough extraction with acidulated o0 per cent, alcohol, the fluid concentrated, neutralised, and thus made ready for animal inooulation. There were three lots of fluid — namely, from samples D and J. 4 (condemned) and No. 101 (passed). Six guinea pigs were inoculated being subcutaneous and one intraperitoneal. In every pase the animals remained well and lively, partook of food as usual, and* in no case suffered the slightest ill-effect, nor gave the least evidence of ptomaine poisoning. This test may be considered as one of the most important that can be applied for the determination of the soundness of oneat, for if any decomposition has taken place it is recorded very rapidly by the sensitive tissues of the living animal. In conclusion, I beg to state that sis a result of naked-eye examination, ns a result of the ordinary tests of smell and touch, and as a result of chemical analysis, I consider all the samples of meat seen, with perhaps the exception of Nos. 4 and 13 of Mr 's second lot, are sound in quality, free from any trace of decomposition, and perfectly safe for use as human food."