The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-15
BEGIN POISON EATING TO-DAY.
SIN or UNCLE SANS BOARDERS
TO BE FED WITH CAPSULES.

the Experiments % Sh0 wing Effects 81
Food Adult Grants On the Human system
WAsHlNoroN. Dec 1.-THE real work Of
the Governments twelve poison eaters"
will begin Tomorrow morning. At break
fast time six Of the twelve young men who
composs the Depart ment Of Agriculturs's
diet-' ,snment table will find beside their
plates big. fat gelstine capsule, filed with
something that they know lint going to do
them any good aud that may do them harm
There Ia. however, a slight clement Of I'M
certainty in the matter. Five Of ths cap
sules will contain u supposedly harmful,
subst ance-borax or some other meat
preservative in general use in the American
market-and the other will be filled with
sugar or something equally harmless.
Prof. Wiley, the chemist Of the Depart
ment, who is conducting tho experiments.
is a Hrm believer in the innusnce Of mind
over matter and thinks that II the poison
eaters knew they were getting something
that il generally considered harmful they
might begin TO feel badly on general prin-
ciples. Hence the odd and innocent cap
sule. 1t will look just like the other Ave.
and Prui. Wiley won't label it, az he wants
each Of to-morrow's capsule squad 70 be-
lieve that he has eaten the sugar and the
other five tho poison.
The twelve young men-Dr. Wiley always
refers to them this way and won't tell their
names--have display ed, individually and
collectively, during the two weeks that the
experiments have been in q. ~ration. such
consistently remarkable appetites that
they should be optimistic about almost
anything. When they wore weighed in
just two weeks ago, and had their first
meal M boarders Of Uncle Sam. they were
all In good physical condition and had
fairly good appetites, varying with the
individual consumption OF "sinkers' and
huctuating in an inverse ratio to the pleni-
tude of the pie crop. But Immediately
after beginning the course Of diet laid
down by Prof. Wiley and approved by
the Society for the Promotion Of Longevity
their physical condition improved and their
appetites increased.
just a week ago to-day the squad sat
down to a bountiful dinner, and before
they got up from the table had cleaned
out the supplies for the Sunday supper
and evinced desire to start in on tho Mon
day rations. Prof. Wiley was obliged to
remind them that the Department was con-
Quoting the diet table to determine the
relative harnfulness OF food adulterants
and not to enable twelve young men TO
increase their girth and avordupois
The two weeks which the experiments
have lasted have given Prof. Wiley a basis
on which to make Q start with the poison
experiments. He has determined the
health weight Of each Of the twelve
and Just how much food il takes TO keep
him at that figure. and so when any loss in
weight or change In pulse. temperature.
respiration. appetite or generally physical
condition follows in the wake Of the loaded
capsule 1t can be attributed 70 the same
kind OF poison that the rest Of the American
people eat pretty nearly every day.
Aside from the value Of the experiments
with regard to food sdulterants. they are
expected to have important results az show
ing the physical and mental health which
is the result Of rational dict Prof. Wiley,
who is an acknowledged authority on the
chemical value Of foods and who Ia living
advertisement for a reason Diet says
there is hardly q limit to tho things that
can be accomplished for good or for evil
by Juggling with menu card.
Given man in ordinary health and with
out any organic trouble, Mr.. Wiley
can MAKE MN u InOucTIl copy OI OF
a first-rate museum attraction as a human
stelet on, and this without any other means
than an arrangement Of his diet. And he
says It IL not necessary in order % attain
the latter result TO resort to the starving
process or TO Q restricted diet The sup
positions individual would grow thin while
apparently in the best Of health. with a
good appetite and On an unlimited diet OF
apparently the mos, wholesome foods.
That is the trouble with a good many
people. Prof. Wiley says. They don't know
what to cat or what they are eating when
they eat It. When they do, he says. every
body who isn't afflicted with some incurable
malady aud who has good common sense
and a little bit Of self-restraint can weigh
Just what he wishes and make the scale
beam huctuate at his pleasure. But Prof,
Wiley, a. valuable a. his knowledge Of this
phase Of the question undoubtedly IL. does
not intend TO adopt the suggestion made to
him by one Of the twelve the at her day
that he hang out a sign, Fat Ladies and
Human Skeletons Grown to Suit" He IL
more Interested at present in the poison.
eating" side of the question.
The twelve young men all work in the
Agricultural Department. and the clerks
who work with them are becoming used to
having martyrs to soience among them.
But at arst it seemed rather odd and created
no little Amusement when a clerk, busily
engaged at his desk. would suddenly glance
at the clock, dive in his pocket, fish out
physician's Thermometer, slap It under his
tongue and 60 ahead with his work. When
the poison eaters frst did this sort of thing
the surrounding clerks stopped work. too.
to watch the performance. And all eye~
would be upon the martyr when he took
the thermomster from under his tongue
and noted his temperature on chart, felt
his pulse and jotted down the result, then
determined HIS respiration, and finally
wound up by asking himself II ne felt well
and writing that down also.
There was not much work done in the
rooms where the twelve are employed
for the first day or two after the expert
ments began. az this performance IL gone
through with every hour or two and will
- arlv nk,aa al kos 81