(Witness: Melvin.) Doctor MELVIN. The glands, and the condition of the liver and spleen-all the internal organs in each case. The CHAIRMAN. Is half a minute sufficient to look those over? Doctor MELVIN. To determine the presence or absence of disease, it is; yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. How would tuberculosis be disclosed? Doctor MELVIN. In cattle The CHAIRMAN. That is, by the viscera? Doctor MELVIN. In cattle, usually the mediastinal glands of the lungs are involved, and the lungs themselves, and the liver. In more advanced cases the spleen would probably be affected or the mesenteric glands of the intestines, and various other glands. The CHAIRMAN. What would these organs disclose-cavities? Doctor MELVIN. No; they would probably disclose abscesses containing pus. The CHAIRMAN. Suppuration? Doctor MELVIN. Cheesy matter; suppurative changes that are going on. Usually with cattle there is a great deposit of calcareous matter that makes these masses gritty and of a grayish color. The CHAIRMAN. What other diseases are there incident to cattle that render them unfit for food? Doctor MELVIN. Well, there might be enteritis-inflammation of the intestines there might be extensive mammitis, metritis, or inflammation and ulceration of the uterus following calving, in cows. They occasionally find Texas fever. The CHAIRMAN. How is that indicated by the viscera? Doctor MELVIN. There is usually a very decided yellow color of all the fat and a bloody appearance of the urine, very much enlarged spleen, and quite frequently some inflammation of the intestines. Also, of course, one of the most diagnostic symptoms is the presence of the tick on the hide-the cattle tick. The CHAIRMAN. Well, that is independent of the viscera? The CHAIRMAN. How do you assure yourselves of the identity of the carcass? You say, if there is any indication of organic changethat is about what it comes to, I suppose? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. If there is any indication of organic change, you have the carcass reserved for further examination? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And where does it go-into some other room? Doctor MELVIN. There is a special room provided for this purpose, called a retaining room, so that we can at any time lock these carcasses up and retain them in our possession in the establishment. The CHAIRMAN. Now, this process is relatively very rapid; those cattle are moving through there at great speed. In what way do your inspectors assure themselves of the identity of the carcasses that they have marked for further examination, so that they can be sure that everything they have discovered is subsequently examined? Doctor MELVIN. They attach a numbered tag to them, which we call a retained" tag. This is attached to them with a wire and lead geal, and stays there upon the carcass until it is removed by the inspector. (Witness: Melvin.) The CHAIRMAN. How many men do you have engaged in that kind of inspection at that establishment? Doctor MELVIN. Two on cattle, three on hogs, one on sheep, and one on calves. The CHAIRMAN. And that number is sufficient to perform that inspection for that establishment? Doctor MELVIN. All of the post-mortem inspection. The CHAIRMAN. How is the existence of trichinosis in swine ascertained? Doctor MELVIN. That is done by the microscopic examination of the muscle fiber. The CHAIRMAN. That would not be disclosed by the viscera? Doctor MELVIN. No, sir; it requires a microscopic examination to determine that. These parasites are so small that they are not distinguishable with the naked eye. Mr. SAMUEL. Are there any symptoms of trichinosis in the live animal? Doctor MELVIN. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Then how do you get at the existence of trichinosis, or whether it is present or absent? Doctor MELVIN. The inspection for that disease has only been carried on where such an examination is necessary for the exportation of pork to certain foreign countries which require this examination. It has never been conducted generally for domestic purposes. The CHAIRMAN. Why not? Doctor MELVIN. I think the principal reason was the tremendous cost it would involve and the small necessity for making the examination. The parasite is readily killed by cooking and by thoroughly salting. It is only where the meat is generally used in a raw or uncooked state that there is any danger from it. The CHAIRMAN. Is it generally present, or is it only infrequently found? Doctor MELVIN. It is found in 1.27 per cent of those that we examine. The CHAIRMAN. It is relatively a very small factor, then? The CHAIRMAN. Why is the examination made in the case of pork for export-on account of the requirement of the foreign country? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir; in some foreign countries this requirement has been discontinued entirely. The CHAIRMAN. Are the diseases that sheep are subject to indicated by the character of the viscera, so as to be obvious on a hasty examination? Doctor MELVIN. Well, in most cases sheep are quite healthy. Only a very small proportion of sheep are found diseased at all. Most of the condemnations that we have to make of sheep are on account of emaciation-starvation. Then, a disease called caseous lymphadenitis affects them to some extent, but not a very large proportion. The CHAIRMAN. Now, is your reason for rejecting an emaciated animal, either cattle or sheep, the fact that emaciation indicates disease of some sort and therefore an unhealthy condition of the flesh? Doctor MELVIN. Not necessarily. The principal ground for condemnation would be on account of the meat lacking in nutritive value. (Witness: Melvin.) The CHAIRMAN. Then, it is not necessarily unfit for food? Doctor MELVIN. No, sir. We differentiate between cattle that are in good health, but which are thin, and those which are thin and not in good health, usually by a further examination after the carcass is hung for a while. In the one case the meat would be dry and firm and of a wholesome color, while in the other it would be flabby and wet and show that the animal was anæmic from lack of vitality. The CHAIRMAN. You weed out all the emaciated animals to which your attention is directed by the ante-mortem examination, do you not? Doctor MELVIN. Yes; but they are killed, of course, subject to the post-mortem. The CHAIRMAN. A subsequent examination? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir; except in cases where it is desired to remove those animals for feeding or breeding. Sometimes there will be a lot of animals that will be unfit for slaughter, but will be young and vigorous, and buyers will wish to return them to the country for feeding. The CHAIRMAN. But where they elect to go on and slaughter, each of those carcasses is hung up for the post-mortem developments? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. We would have to have over $4,000,000 additional to make this trichina inspection. The CHAIRMAN. The inspection for trichinosis? Doctor MELVIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Have any complaints reached the Department of the existence of trichinosis in recent years? Doctor MELVIN. But very few cases are reported to us. Occasionally we have received information of cases where people contract the disease through eating raw pork, uncooked pork. Usually such cases are confined to foreigners who carry their custom of eating raw pork to this country. The CHAIRMAN. In what portions of the animal are the trichinæ found in the fatty or lean portions, or both? Doctor MELVIN. Entirely in the lean portions. The CHAIRMAN. But ordinary cooking destroys them? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And salting or pickling or smoking does the same? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. So that you never would find it, for instance, in ham? Doctor MELVIN. Not alive. You can find the parasite there, but the process of curing would have killed it. The CHAIRMAN. Yes; that is what I meant. You never would find them in a ham in a condition that would be prejudicial to health? Doctor MELVIN. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. So that if ham is eaten without cooking it can be done with impunity, so far as that disease is concerned? Doctor MELVIN. Well-cured ham; yes. The CHAIRMAN. Now, you have how many grades of inspectors; running all the way from $1,000, is it? Doctor MELVIN. They commence at a salary of $1,200. (Witness: Melvin.) The CHAIRMAN. They commence at $1,200, and go on with increases of $200 each, up to $1,800? Doctor MELVIN. Yes; we commenced a system of that sort this year. Previously they went from $1,200 to $1,400, and from $1,400 to $1,500; then to $1,600, and from $1,600 to $1,800. The CHAIRMAN. You say previous to this year, in the manner you have just described? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And now how do they run? Doctor MELVIN. We have eliminated the $1,500 grade; they go from $1,400 to $1,600. The CHAIRMAN. And then from $1,600 to $1,800? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Why was that $1,500 grade eliminated? Doctor MELVIN. We had to do it in order to retain men who were proficient, and to obtain sufficient other men, on account of the increased work. The work was not sufficiently attractive to induce many veterinarians, or enough veterinarians, to engage in it. The CHAIRMAN. Now, men begin in your inspector grade at $1,200, and work up until they finally reach $1,800? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir; and in the case of extraordinary duties, such as being in charge of a station and having additional responsibility, their pay is increased. The CHAIRMAN. In that case they have executive duties in addition to their professional duties? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Well, what is the difference between the duties performed now by the men in these various classes, $1,200, $1,400, $1,600, and $1,800? Is it a question of additional duties, or is it a question of length of service that gives rise to the increase of salary? Doctor MELVIN. Both, to some extent, the length of service probably predominating. The CHAIRMAN. That is, the length of service is a controlling factor? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. We consider it better for them to enter the service at a comparatively low salary and have the salary increased according to length of service, rather than to have them come in at a fixed salary and remain at such fixed salary. The CHAIRMAN. Now, as briefly as you can, please state what, if anything, is done by your $1,400 men that is not done by your $1,200 men, and so on until you reach your $1,800 men. First state, in a general way, what your $1,200 men do. Doctor MELVIN. They all do practically the same kind of work. Some may do ante-mortem inspection and others post-mortem, but they may be transferred and changed around from one class of work to another. The CHAIRMAN. That is, taking two men of the same class at the same time, one of them may perform the ante-mortem and one the post-mortem examination? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. Take, for instance, a $1,200 man; men who are new in the service would not be intrusted with these final post-mortem examinations which determine whether the animal (Witness: Melvin.) should be destroyed or passed for food. That would be left principally to the older and more experienced inspectors. There would be that difference between the high and the low priced men. The CHAIRMAN. Might this be true; you have described two men as examining the viscera, where there were 18 or 20 cattle going through at a time; might you have a $1,400 man and a $1,600 man working along side by side, doing the same work? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Might you have a $1,200 man and a $1,600 man working also side by side? Doctor MELVIN. Not so frequently; but it might be true; yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. So that there is not any substantial distinction in the kind and quality of work done by the men of these various grades? Doctor MELVIN. No; it is governed very largely by the length of service. The CHAIRMAN. Do you have any difficulty in getting men to enter your $1,200 grade? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir; a great deal. We have quite a large number of veterinarians employed under temporary appointment at present, not being able to get them under the civil service. The CHAIRMAN. That grade is under the civil service? The CHAIRMAN. There are no applicants waiting who have taken the civil-service examination; your service has exhausted them all? Doctor MELVIN. No; there are some waiting, but they are not in sufficient numbers to provide for our work. The CHAIRMAN. Well, why do you not exhaust the men that are waiting, then? Doctor MELVIN. Oh, you mean waiting now on the civil-service eligible list? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Doctor MELVIN. That is exhausted. Mr. SAMUEL. Most of these men are graduates of veterinary colleges? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. We require applicants to be graduates of colleges having a three-year course, and in addition they must pass a technical civil-service examination. The CHAIRMAN. Do your stock examiners have to pass a civil-service examination? Doctor MELVIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. They have salaries of about $900. Are they also professional men? Doctor MELVIN. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What do they do? Doctor MELVIN. It is usual to promote the stock examiners from the position of tagger after civil-service examination. The CHAIRMAN. What do these stock examiners do? Doctor MELVIN. They assist principally in this ante-mortem stockyard inspection. There would be two or three or more of these stock examiners making ante-mortem inspections in the stock yards, and the cattle which they would retain would be again overseen by a veterinarian, who would determine whether they should be released or whether these retained tags should be kept on them. They some |