that even the American newspapers have pointed out the fact that not only horse flesh, but also the meat of diseased animals, has been used by the people in the business. Since the preparation of canned meat does not destroy the disease. the question is: Are we bound to the consumption of corned beef, and is the consumption of it a pecuniary advantage? These questions must be answered in the negative. The first, by the fact that frequent diseases have resulted from eating these conserves; the second, by the circumstance that the box weighing 1 kilo contains about 700 grains of eatable meat, which, with 1 mark and 75 pfennige, is sold at a higher price than a domestic article of equal value. In Vienna, likewise, these conserves are met in the market, and most dealers in delicacies sell the box for 1 florin and 20 kreutzers, or much dearer than a domestic article of the same value. For these reasons the proposition of the city physician to prohibit the import of American meats of all kinds is no doubt perfectly justified. No. 2. Mr. Davis to Mr. Taft. No. 22.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 19, 1883. SIR: I am in receipt of your No. 26, of the 28th of November last, in regard to the agitation now being developed in Austria-Hungary in the interest of the meat producers in that Empire. You inclose an article from the Tagblatt newspaper, in which it is proposed to extend the prohibition at present in force against American pork to all kinds of American meat on the ground that beef as well as pork is liable to be infected with trichinæ. You state that on inquiry at the foreign office you could get no intimation that any such measure was at that time under consideration, but that the opinion appeared to be general that the Government would adopt the suggestion of the newspaper article. In this connection you inquire the present situation of the pork question in France. * * * In reply I regret to inform you that the prohibitory decree in France is still in force. A bill to withdraw the decree and adopt certain microscopic examinations in its place was passed by the French Chamber, but was defeated by a small majority in the Senate, and since that time no other action has been taken by the French Government in the matter. * * * The existence of trichinæ in beef has never before been suggested. It is, in fact, an impossibility, as the ox is purely herbivorous, and trichinæ are only (and that rarely) communicated among carnivorous and omnivorous animals. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch, No. 274, relating to renewed attacks on American canned meats on the ground that they contain trichinæ. A recent death alleged to have been caused by eating such meat is, you state, made occasion for the renewal of the attack. In reply, I have to say that the only hog products exported from this country in cans are such as are believed to be incapable of containing trichinæ in a form that could by any possible chance be developed into life. Our hog products exported in cans are such as lard, pickled feet, gelatine, etc., all of which have been subjected to such degrees of heat in the several processes required to render them merchantable as would destroy any germ, had any existed; but I understand that it has never been claimed that trichinæ have been found in any of the products * * * just named. Consequently we expect the fullest proof that the person who died in hospital had trichinosis from eating American meats. I am, sir, etc., JOHN DAVIS, Acting Secretary. BELGIUM. No. 4. Mr. Steuart to Mr. Davis. [Extract.] No. 105.] CONSULATE UNITED STATES, Antwerp, November 20, 1882. (Received December 2.) SIR: I have the honor to inform you that the dealers in American meat on this market are very much agitated on account of a notice widely circulated by the German press to the effect that Prince Bismarck is preparing to offer a bill to the Bundesrath demanding the prohibition of the importation of American pork produce into Germany. The Kreuz Zeitung, a prominent journal, says: "We hear that the bill has not yet been presented but is under consideration by the Prussian Government. The examinations of the German imperial health office show that there is danger from the importation of American pork. It is proven that there prevails in America a disease among hogs called hog cholera, and that thousands of hogs die with it. The owners of these dead hogs do not hesitate to utilize them, and the result is that some of the product of these animals is sent into Germany for consumption." The whole scheme is an unjustifiable attack upon an innocent article of American produce, and the dealers on this side of the water, the men who have labored to build up this branch of American trade, are earnest in their demand that the United States Government should come to their rescue, and defeat the adoption by Germany of such an unjust and injurious measure. With France and Germany both closed against American pork by governmental prohibition, the large trade on this market would be virtually ruined, as only Belgium would be left to supply. As it is, the trade has been very much depressed for more than a year by the high prices ruling in America; and now, just when great hopes for a full revival of business were cheering the dealers, comes this blow from Germany to paralyze the market. The same cause that made the trade so dull greatly stimulated the raising of hogs in Germany, and it is now, when the decline of prices in America revives trade and threatens to place the meat on the German market cheaper than they can produce it, that the cry of prohibition comes from a sanitary motive. Antwerp, from being the most important distributing point on the Continent for American produce and provisions, has a very material interest in this matter. and hence I venture to call attention to the danger that threatens this branch of our trade. When you consider that of the very large quantity of American meat imported into Antwerp Germany takes about 80 per cent, you can readily see of what vital importance is the retention of such a customer, and what the result would be if this prohibitory measure should be carried out by the German authorities. The effect of the rumor at present is to stop all transactions; for as contracts have to be made in advance, dealers are afraid, in the possibility of losing such a customer as Germany, to touch the goods even at a very low price. * * In conversation to-day with one of my colleagues from one of the northern countries of Europe, he said that he considered the importation into his country from America of petroleum and pork to have been the greatest boon ever conferred upon the laboring class, and I think the same remark would apply truthfully to the same class in Germany. JOHN H. STEUART, Consul. I am, etc., * No. 22.] No. 5. Mr. Wilson to Mr. Davis. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES, Brussels, February 24, 1883. (Received March 13.) SIR: In a report made to the Department June 14, 1881, on trichinæ spiralis in American pork, a subject then very much agitating not only the people of Belgium but of this entire Continent, I gave, in connection with a brief history of this parasite and the previous panics it had produced throughout Europe, the result of my own microscopic examinations of seve al lots of salted meats said to be imported from the United States into this country. In that paper I not only expressed the opinion that the cyst of the parasite was its tomb, but that I believed it did not long survive in well-salted pork, and I now beg to say that after much subsequent study of this subject I very much doubt whether a single competent microscopist can now be found who will be bold enough to assert that he has discovered the encysted living animal in thoroughly salted hams or bacon. As the whole question of the dangerous or harmless character of this class of our foreign exports is based upon the truth or error of this opinion, and as there is now an effort being made in Germany to interdict its importation on account of its assumed unsoundness, from my previous professional training and habit of investigating vital phenomena, I have felt justified in expressing to the Department this, as I think, well-founded opinion, in the hope that it may lead to such investigations by more competent persons as will forever set at rest this frequently recurring and damaging fear of mortal disease from eating American pork. The most panic-producing writers on this subject generally admit that it is from eating raw or imperfectly smoked or salted swine's flesh that the disease known as trichinosis usually results, and they further confess that when once the little animal is inclosed within the walls of its enveloping cyst its active life ceases, and that, in whatever numbers found, it henceforth ceases to endanger either life or health. Yet with a rare inconsistency many of them claim that in this quiescent state it retains its vitality for a long period, even extending through many years. Of this fact there can, of course, be but simple conjecture, seeing that no observer can tell at what exact time the parasite has thus enshrouded himself. But opposed to this theory is that almost universal law of animal life that the longevity of the animal generally bears a direct proportion to the period required for its maturation. Now it is claimed by most trichinic observers that the process of generation and birth of this little animal invariably takes place in the stomach and intestinal canal, and that within a few days from its birth it has so matured as to penetrate the walls of the intestines and rapidly make its way through the various intervening structures to the remote muscular tissue of the animal it infects, there to be speedily encysted and endowed with a subsequent dormant existence of several years, during which time its presence occasions little or no inconvenience. Of this theory of the life and movements of this little worm I can only say that it involves an almost unparalleled exception to the law generally regarded as determining animal life, and ought not be accepted but upon the most positive proof. It may further be stated that the law governing parasitic existence in living tissue usually involves the speedy death of the parasite after the pabulum upon which it feeds has passed froin under the domain of vital force; hence, unless this tiny worm constitutes an exception to this law, its life must be short after the organic structure upon which it feeds has ceased to live. But however this may be, the fact remains, according to my observations, that this parasite can not live in a tissue saturated with chloride of sodium, or common salt. If in this opinion I am mistaken. I can only say that I have failed to receive authentic proof to the contrary, and, until otherwise convinced, I feel it my duty to reiterate the results of my own experience and observations, and that is that I have never myself seen nor found a microscopist who would declare that he had observed tricinæ in motion, or manifesting any other sign of life, when found in well salted meats. I have myself been present when officially appointed microscopists, at some of the abattoirs of this country, have been engaged in examining American pork for trichinæ, and have been invited by these gentlemen to see for myself through their microscopes the peculiar cell and spiral coil of the animal, but on carefully examining them I have only observed, blended with the tissues and minute salt crystals, the entombed animal, evidently as destitute of life as the structure in which it was embedded. If, then, salt really kills trichinæ, and of it I have scarcely a doubt, it is evidently an injustice on the part of foreign governments to lay an embargo on our pork product, which, of all others, in order to secure it against decomposition on a long journey to foreign markets. is better salted than that of any other country. Seeing, then, that this question of whether common salt is indeed an effectual destroyer of trichinæ life is one of such vital importance, not only to our export trade, but also to the poor and laboring classes of all countries, I can not refrain from urgently suggesting to the Department the propriety of an exhaustive examination of the subject, for if it once becomes an established scientific fact that salt really does kill this parasite, and our packers and shippers will but properly salt their meat intended for exportation, foreign governments will no longer be able to justify their prohibitive measures by an appeal to the danger of communicating mortal disease by the introduction of the already too-much slandered American pork. Very respectfully, etc., JNO. WILSON, United States Consul. No. 6. Mr. Steuart to Mr. Davis. [Extract.] No. 116.] UNITED STATES CONSULATE, Antwerp, April 12, 1883. (Received April 27.) SIR: In the March number of the American Mail and Export Journal I read with much interest an article entitled the Pork question again," but it contains the following erroneous comparison regarding Belgium, to which I wish to call attention and to correct, as it weakens the force of the argument by greatly underrating the importance of Germany and France in our foreign pork trade. The author gives a table of " exports of American pork products during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1882," and adds: "It will be seen by the foregoing that the consumption of American pork products, outside of lard, in Germany and France is insignificant, both countries not consuming one-half of that of Belgium alone." The mistake he makes is in assuming that the total importation into Belgium is consumed in Belgium, whereas it is merely in transit, and from 75 to 80 per cent of the bacon and lard coming from the United States into Antwerp is sold to and consumed in Germany; and the same comparison might have been made in regard to American hams with France, as before her prohibition decree Antwerp had a large trade with northern France in that article, but the consumption of American pork in Belgium is very trifling as compared with Germany and France. Antwerp acts as a broker for a great part of Europe, and the large importations find their way here simply because this is the best market and the best distributing point on the Continent. Since 1880 the imports of American meat have fallen off greatly on account of the continued high prices ruling in America; but the amount imported into Antwerp during 1882, as shown by the table herewith inclosed, had a value of more than $5,000,000, and it is this large interest that makes the dealers here watch with anxiety the action taken by the European governments affecting this interest, and also to see what, if anything, is to be done by our Government. I have called attention a number of times, and do again here, to the fact that American meat has its value on this market as an article of barter and not as an article of consumption. Therefore, Belgium being a kind of transit depot, the heavy importation here tends to increase and not diminish the importance of Germany and France, for they are the recipients and consumers. They are very important to our foreign pork trade, and their absence will be felt when we again have a large surplus crop at home. I hope to see these arbitrary prohibition decrees kept in view, for it is a question affecting not meat alone, but may be extended with equal justice or injustice to any other of our products that may stand in their way. * * * The sanitary plea is, of course, an invention without reason and without truth, and as for France, in a question of endangering the public health, so long as we continue to import and drink her so-called wines aud brandies she would have greatly the advantage of us if all her ports were thrown open to our pork and if it should be really much worse than they claim it to be. I have, etc., JOHN H. STEUART, No. 206.] Mr. Ryder to Mr. Davis. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES, Copenhagen, April 5, 1883. (Received May 1.) SIR: I have herewith the honor to hand a report on a subject which is at present creating considerable excitement among the agricultural classes in this country. I allude to an imperial decree lately enacted by the German Empire prohibiting the importation of live swine, pork, and sausages from the United States of America into the ports of the German Empire, Fears seem to be entertained here that the very considerable export trade in these articles which is now carried on from this country with Germany may, at no very remote period and in consequence of this decree, be subjected to such regulations and restrictions as would materially interfere with this trade, and that for the important agricultural interests of this country it would be desirable that Denmark should also issue a similar prohibitory order against the importation of such stock from the United States. I do not, however, at present anticipate any immediate danger of such prohibitory order being enforced; but should the German, Government later on deem it necessary to place onerous restrictions on the trade from this country, under the plea that American swine and pork were being introduced into the Empire through this channel, great pressure would doubtless be brought to bear so as to compel the Danish Government to issue a similar decree of exclusion in the interests of their agricultural community. In investigating the importance of this branch of Danish trade it will be found that the export of live swine is mainly directed toward Germany. Inasmuch as while the total export in 1881 of hogs and pigs from this country amounted to 253,294 head, of the value of 22 millions of kroners, of these no less than 237,118 head, of the value of 214 millions of kroners, were exported to the German Empire. In the same year 979,000 pounds of pork and hams, of the value of 396,000 kroners, and 946,000 pounds of beef and sausages, of the value of 269,000 kroners, were likewise exported to the same country, giving a total export value of these articles of about 21,900,000 kroners. That a very considerable proportion of the live stock which is exported from Denmark to Hamburg is not intended for consumption in that Empire, but is again reexported in a slaughtered state to Holland and to England, is not to be denied; but looking at the development which this trade has received in the latter years it is felt by the commercial and agricultural classes in this country that they can not at present afford to lose the market of Hamburg as a middle link in this trade; and that even supposing that other markets could be found for the absorption of their surplus stocks of live swine, this would, in the first instance at least, be attended with considerable pecuniary loss. |