The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-08-30

Year by year. an increasing number of
cases Of so-called ptomaine poisoning
come TO the popular attention, and in
crease the burden of anxiety borne by the
| epicure, as one after another of his favor
| ite dishes are prescribed Now 1t is
toothsome fish that is eaten somewhere by
somebody. and leads 10 suffering and
death, says the Baltimore American.
Now IL 10 fowl. and again animal Aesh
that ticklss the palate, only to terribly the
stomach. Beverages, too, contain the
gruesome ptomaine, and no corner Of all
the realm Of the sdible and printable,
but will soon be invaded by this myster-
iaus visitor. Science has long known of
the existence OF this destroyer. but the
masses lived on In blissful ignorance of
its war ON human lie, eating what Icame
to hand. At this day, however, the air is
full of tales sof the devastation OF the
deadly ptomaine, and but few can be
found whosdo not appreciate to the full
est the risk they run with every mouth
full.
Sea food. from statistics, seems the
chief medium of the new varmint's at
taoks. and this fact makes the wave of
anxiety central to this region. Maryla nd
ana Baltimore revel at this season in a
choice yarie ty of these foods, that have
made famous the name OF the Chesapeake
and its tributaries. But fish and crabs as
we'll, have come under the ban, ard the
Joy If life viii 90 out, for thousands
h Ell eabout who know these dsinties to
love them. Science went maniuily 10
work, years ago, to solve the personal
equation of the ptomaina, and to supply
some warning by which threatend man
might not be ambushed. Beyond estab
| fishing beyond doubt that this poisoner
exists, science has made no Roadway. The
nearest approach to the root of the evil
has been to gather about the last Victim
and solemnly lay the blame at the door Of
sonie edible, which housed the deadly un-
\ known.
Observations of the various phenomena
following ptomaine poisoning have de-
duced various facts, but have gone but
little way toward establishing proven
tives. 1t has been so FAR dedueed that
danger turks in mussels, oysters, fish,
cells, crabs, sausage, frt sh and cured;
| ham, veal, mutton bacon. canned ments
| and fruits. cheese, milk, ice cream, meal
\ and bread. Well authenticated cases of
poisoning from each of these have been
studied, without result, while daily other
items of diet are being added TO the list.
| Ptomaines are the products OF putrefao-
ttion, and on account of their basic proper
ties. have bsen called putrefactive aka
loids. They are alike developed in the
putresaction Of vegetable and animal
matter. All ptomaines are not poisonous;
and indeed, investigation has demon
strated that the greater number are not,
4 but science has not been able to distin-
guish between the deadly and the harm
less, until somebody has eaten the wrong
kind. They ara transition products in the
process OF utlefaction, and they differ
with evsry stage in the transformation of
| matter by the activity OF bacterial life,
| from the organic to inorganic state. There
are ptomaines which thrive freely in air
and others which thrive as freely when
excluded from arr. The lowest tempera-
ture does not destroy them These, but a
few of the claims CT the poisoner to long
evity, indicate how helpless prey is
mankind to their depredations, and how
difficult has been the task of science In
differentiating these from other bacterial
assailRnts of life. Rarely, even in cases
OF death from ptomaine poisoning, has
the elusive ptomaine been discovered in
| succeeding examinations. Chemical agents
4 arS discovered, known to indicate the
presence OF .ptomaines, but the skilled
chemist has found at the end of long and
careful analyses that somehow the putre.
factiVe aka Hold has decomposed. eyaporat-
ed or been destroyed by a reagent he has
used. or in one of hundred ways avo d.
ed his effort at discovery and study. The
fact that tho poison Is of putFefactive
origin offers one common sense precau-
tion. Food to be harmless must be abac-
iutely fresh, aud prepared with greatest
care. HYGIENE conditions must prevail
in every phass of its progress from field
Band stream to the table. The diner,
some, carefully prepared food, is in pos
session of ali the safeguards possible
against the ptomaine. and can be reason-
ably happy II he forgets that the poison
has developed in apparently fresh stuff, to
the establishment OF science and the vic
4 tim