The Butte inter mountain., 1902-12-17
OF INTER MOUNTAIN.

fDRRESpONDFNtE Of INlLR
Washington, Dec. I3.-Thc government
has begun series Of experiments in
human beings to test the effects of food.
The reading public has learned that
practically all commercial foods are more
or less doctored for purposes of adultera-
ton or preservation. Chemists and hygie-
nists throughout the world have the most
varying opinions as to the effects OF these
materials upon the digestion and general
health of the consumer. Investigations
already made have been entirely partisan.
So there is no scientific information, one
way or the other.
DR.. Wiley. as chief of the bureau of
chemistry, department of agriculture, has
analyzed practically every food common
to commerce. He has prepared long list
of substances used as preservatives, color
ing matter leavening agents and those
added to pure food for any purpose. The
important ones are salicylic acid, borax,
boracic acid, sulphites and sulphuric acid,
benzots and benzoc acid, saccharina, for
maldehyde, alcohol, salt, pyroligneous
acd-the sum products OF the burning OF
woods, as contained in wood smoke, nitrate
of potash, chlorine formic acid and the
fuorides. Among the coloring agents are
VcRetdUlC COlOTS SuSh do dhhattob ahN
especially the coal tar colors used in but
ter, cream, sausage and preserved meats;
also eocin used to dye vegetables and fruit
red. Along the leavening agents used by
bakers are bicarbonate of soda, phosphoric
acid and cream of tartar.
Falling back upon the philosophy OF the
old adage, "The proof of the pudding is in
the eating" Dr. Wiley lately decided to
f. .t.o IN m affprWarl
subject these same men to chemically pure
food alone, and then to compare results.
During the past few weeks he has been
busily engaged in converting the basement
floor of the bureau of chemistry into as
complete a boarding house as any thrifty
widow ever kept.
He applied to the civil service commits
sion for a cook and waiter, and that EN-
ployment agency supplied two colored gen
tlemcn, whose respective duties are to
prepare the doctored food in true Waldorf
Astoria style and serve it without the least
betrayal of the secret constituents which
lie hidden under its seductive triftles and
sauces. The doctors Office was stacked
with bales of linen and canton flannel,
which he told the inquistive visitors were
to be used as mortuary wrappings tor his
victims. He issued call for volunteers,
and soon found himself overwhelmed by a
correspondence with individuals the city
DER, who hungered for the free viands OF
his table. OF these score of applicants he
finally selected two dozen. The mapority
are employees of his bureau; all are con-
nected with the department of agriculture
and are students of science.
Women and married men were barred,
the former because the conditions of en-
listment were such as to entail them
embarrassment the latter because the doc
tor deemed it unsafe to attempt to divorce
them from the boards of their better
halves, fearing that sentimental reasons
might tempt them to kick over the traces.
Each of the accepted volunteers had to
sign this pledge:
"We the undersigned, hereby agree to
take our meals for period of at least six
months, at the table to be prepared in the
Bureau of Chemistry, Department of Agri-
culture, for the purpose of ascertaining the
effects of certain preserving substances,
commonly used in foods, upon digestion.
We agree to follow the rules and regula-
tions prescribed for this experimental
study, to make the observations required,
and, during the period in which the study
is continued, will promise to take no food
Of any description, except that which is
provided at the table mentioned. 1t is
agreed that the time in which we are un-
der observation shall not occupy more than
half of the whole time and that during the
remainder of the time we are permitted to
take our meals at another table to be pro-
vided by the Bureau of Chemistry, at
which ordinary foods in ordinary quanti-
ties will be served"
On Saturday last six of the "a signers
of this. pledge entered upon their six
months of free board. DR.. Wiley called
them together and stated the rules which
they were pledged to respect Total alb
stinence from alcohol is demanded by one
of these rules Tobacco is not tabooed, but
must not be INDUCED in more freely than
ordinarily, while eating between meals is
strictly out of order.
The young men reported at o'clock
and were escorted first to the Stripping
ROOM" Here each In turn dvested him
self of his entire apparel and stood upon
very delicate weighing scales. II will
weigh them every morning before break