Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-11-08

If you chew gum be careful not to
come under the spell of any particular
brand. One of the expert chemists on
the New York board of health is
authority for the statement that chew
ing gum is being "doped' He has not
yet found out what the manufacturers
are putting in it, but he is confident
they are using either cocaine or some
from of the deadly poppy.
About 500 samples were gathered up
last week from the chewing gum slot
machines which are scattered all over
New York city, and the analysis will
be completed in about ten days.
For some time past the board OF
health has been aware that certain
manufacturers, defeated by the usual
methods of competition, had resorted
to a slight narcotic in order to hold
patrons.
The smoker of cigars know very we'll
the attempt which was made some
years ago to drug a famous brand CT
cigars and the exposure which fol
lowed through the efforts of the United
States revenue officers.
When the possibilities of drugging
chewing gum were first brought to the
attention of President Murphy of the
board of health he would not listen to
the wild dreams" of the crank, com
plainant, as he called the fellow, but
soon other complaints came from en-
tirely different sources from the first.
He then called in one of his chemists
and told him there must be something
in the complaints. A woman living in
Harlem wrote a letter to President
Murphy telling him what a chewing
gum victim her husband had become.
She said he would chew sometimes a
dozen packages a day. II she took
away his supply he would often get up
in the middle of the night and so out
and work the slot machines. He
would go to bed with fresh piece in
his mouth and several packages under
his plnow. She could not sleep for
his constant chewing. She begged
him to go back to smoking, but he had
no appetite for tobacco Formerly ne
had been great smoker ADD had aC-
quired the chewing gum habit in an
effort to stop using tobacco.
She said he would not buy the gum
sold in the drug stores and confection-
ers, half a dozen pieces for a nickel,
but insisted on using the slot machine
variety. He told her the other brands
did not satisfy his appetite. For this
reason she believed the gum in the
slot machines had been "doped."
Taking her tip, the chemist selected to
make the analysis last week sent boy
out with SIS and he brought back 500
pieces of gum culled from $50 different
machines. He took two pieces from
each machine. They were selected at
random, but nearly every part of the
city was taken in.
It is estimated that there are be-
tween 5000 and 1000 machines in
Manhattan alone, operated by about
dozen different companies. AS no par
ticular company was complained of, no
particular one was singled out for in
vestigatiOn.
One complainant, a very wealthy
woman living on Central Park West,
said that her entire family Of seven
children had become the victims of
pepsin gum which they secured from a
machine near the apartment where the
family resides. This machine was
found and the boy, who took sample
for the board of health, told the
chemist in charge Of the investigation
that the pepsin gum slot in that ma
chine had been very much overworked.
All the paint around the other slots in
the same machine were in good con
dition.
This corroborated the statements
made by the mother Of the child vic
! tins. She said her oldest girl would
not only steal pennies from all the
members of the family to work this
| machine on the corner, but she would
steal gum from her brothers and
sisters.
None of the children, she said,
| chewed a piece of gum very long
They seemed to crave a fresh piece,
and after chewing it for five minutes
would throw it away and take another.
This made her believe there was some
! drug in the gum.
/
health that chewing gum contains
some opiate it is very doubtful If the
manufacturers can be prosecuted. II
thew have added cocaine to their pro-
duct for example, there is no law to
prohibit the sale of gum so doctored.
There are many preparations SOLD 10
day in all parts of the country which
| contain cocaine, and there is no way TO
prohibit their manufacture or sale.
Chewing gum has been declared not
to be a food This was tested in the
! courts some years ago, when manu-
facturer put something in his gum
which produced a sore mouth. He
was prosecuted for selling impure or
adulterated food, and the case failed
on the defense that the gum is not a
food, because the chewer is not sup
posed to take it into his stomach. To
| bacco is not food for the same rea-
son. Rubber can be used as chewing
gum. it was contended, and yet rubber
is far from food.
So, unless it is found in this investi-
CATION that some poison is being sold
mixed with the chewing gum, it is very
doubtful if the sale of so called "doped
gum can be stopped in this city.
Nevertheless. the chemist making
the analysis is going to report to the
board of health, and this report will be
published, thus notifying the public
Just what they may expect when they
resort to the slot machine.
ID nj tho rom 1nrPiGl