BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 305 



ness and sanitation, until it can be justly claimed that the sanitary 

 condition of slaughtering and packing establishments under Federal 

 inspection is now beyond serious criticism. 



In recent years we have been able to give more attention to improv- 

 ing details "of the inspection service and bringing about a more 

 uniform system based on definite standards. Seven traveling inspec- 

 tors are constantly engaged in visiting the various stations, observ- 

 ing and reporting on the work as it is carried on, correcting 

 irregularities, and endeavoring to promote uniform efficiency. No 

 effort is spared to give our people a service that will protect them 

 against diseased and unwholesome meat products, first by adopting 

 standards of inspection that are sound and safe, and then by carrying 

 on the inspection faithfully and efficiently in accordance with those 

 standards. 



The operations of our inspection service have many times been 

 observed and investigated in recent years by authorities and experts 

 not only in this country, biit from various parts of the world, and 

 such people regard it as very efficient. Several eminent foreign 

 scientific men who were delegates to the recent International Congress 

 of Hygiene and Demography at Washington took occasion to visit 

 the packing houses at Chicago and elsewhere, and, so far as I have 

 heard, all without exception expressed themselves in terms of high 

 commendation of our inspection service. The opinions of such experts 

 vastly outweigh the criticisms of those who are not specially qualified 

 to pass judgment on the technical questions involved in meat inspec- 

 tion. 



There is occasionally some misunderstanding regarding the passing 

 for food of meat from animals slightly affected with certain diseases, 

 such as tuberculosis. The scientific standards followed by the bureau 

 in determining wdien to pass and when to condemn meat in such 

 cases represent the practically unanimous views of the world's experts 

 in pathology and other branches of science having a bearing on the 

 subject. These authorities agree that, although an animal may be 

 affected with a disease in a certain form, a portion of the meat may be 

 absolutely sound, healthful, wholesome, and fit for human food. It 

 should be thoroughly understood that we do not pass diseased meat ; 

 we only pass under certain circumstances the sound and wholesome 

 meat of a slightly diseased animal after removing and condemning 

 the affected jDortion, usually merely glands or an organ. And in 

 drawing the line we take the safe side for the protection of the con- 

 sumer, as is shown by the report of a commission hereinafter quoted. 

 Our regulations and practices in this respect are fully as strict as 

 those of any other nation, and we condemn meat that in some other 

 countries would be passed for food. 



A few years ago our regulations on this point were submitted to a 

 commission of scientists outside the department, namely: Dr. William 

 H. Welch (chairman), professor of pathology, Johns Hopkins Uni- 

 versity; Dr. L. Ilektoen, professor of pathology'. University of 

 Chicago; Dr. Joseph Hughes, president of the Chicago Veterinary 

 College; Dr. V. A. Moore, professor of comparative patliology. Cor- 

 nell University; Dr. Leonard Pearson, dean of the veterinary depart- 

 ment, University of Pennsylvania; Dr. M. J. Rosenau, director of the 

 Hygienic Laboratory, United States Public Health and Marine- 



70481°— AGB 1912 20 



