No. 491.
Mr. Reed
to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Madrid, February 28, 1883. (Received March 17.)
Sir: Some days since I saw in the Madrid papers that several cases of trichinosis had occurred at Malaga, some of which it was alleged had been caused by the eating of raw ham proceeding from the United States.
At about the same time I received a dispatch from Mr. Marston, our consul at Malaga, dated the 18th instant, informing me of his action in the matter, and inclosing a copy of his telegram and of his dispatch upon the subject to the Department, dated the 14th instant.
In view of the very worthy and prompt action of Mr. Marston I did not deem it necessary for me to act here, but seeing in the papers of Saturday last that some of the persons attacked had died, and that the authorities at Malaga had under consideration the propriety of recommending the issuance of an order preventing the further importation of pork from the United States, and knowing how difficult it would be if the order was once issued to have it rescinded, I deemed it my duty to do what I properly could to prevent any such order from being issued. With this object in view I at once proceeded to the direction general of health, &c. (under the direction of the ministry of gobernacion), and not finding the director general in, asked to see the next officer in charge. This gentleman received me very courteously, and after explaining the object of my visit he advised me to write an unofficial note to the minister of gobernacion upon the subject, assuring me at the same time that it would receive prompt attention. This I did on Monday the 26th instant, inclosing for his further information two copies of the report on “American pork,” made by Mr. Scanlan in 1881, under the direction of the Department of State. I beg to inclose a copy and translation of my note.
Last evening I received the reply of the minister of gobernacion (a copy and translation of which I also beg to inclose herewith), expressing thanks for the copies of the report, and informing me that up to the present time it had not been decided to introduce any changes whatever in regard to the sanitary formalities established for the introduction into Spain of pork proceeding from the United States, and adding that he proposed to make a careful study of the report which I sent him.
I feel quite certain that no order will be issued preventing the further importation of American pork. I am strengthened in this belief by the reception to-day of another dispatch from Mr. Marston, dated the 24th instant, inclosing a copy of a paragraph taken that morning from a Malaga paper stating that it had been ascertained that the cases of trichinosis were caused by the eating of longanizas (a kind of sausage), prepared by one Jose Diaz, of Galena, and that the pork or meats in his possession in which trichinae were found had been burned, and strict orders given to prevent a recurrence of the evil.
[Page 770]I shall continue, however, to keep a careful watch, and should I have occasion so to do will make every effort to prevent any action by the authorities here detrimental to the introduction into Spain of this important article of our produce.
In closing this dispatch I beg to strongly commend the course pursued by Mr. Marston.
I have, &c.