The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-06-24
DEATH IN GREEN FRUIT,
This Year More Than Ever Before Is
Sold In New York City.


to life and health today than the ava
lanchc of green fruit that is daily
poured into the markets. Some thous-
ands Of carloads and ship-loads of
immature fruit are received every
month here, and hundreds Of thous-
ands of people eat it in this danger
Gus condition. The enormous busi-
ness done in this line may be under
stood when it ie known that more than
100000 day is paid by the citizens
of the greater city for fruit and vege-
tables, large part Of which is green
and immature, causing innumerablc
cases Of cholera aud intestinal trou-
bles, leading to cancer of the stomach
and other fatal disorders.
The death rate Of Greater New
York is at present 1877 per 1000 and
the total number Of deaths thus far in
1903 is nearly $4,000. Last year dur
ing July, when the green fruit sales
were the highest, the death rate
among children under year old was
2l7 in every 1000. OF these deaths
a prominent physician in Manhattan
attributes nearly 20 per cent directly
to the children or the mother eating
green fruit. Hundreds of other cases
of disease and sickness among adults
are also due, it is said, to the same
cause.
The sale Of green fruit and the
other evil of displaying it in the open
air exposed to disease germs has been
made special study by DR.. II. G..
Freeman, the we'll known specialist of
205 West 57th street, Manhattan. So
interested has he become in the work
and 30 impressed is he with the dan
ger arising from tho sale of fruit in
this condition that he has had pre-
pared number of lantern slides
showing fruit stands in various parts
Of the city. These pictures he shows
to illustrate lecture on the cub
ject. and warn his audience of the
menace to their health in eating such
products.
"There is no question:" said Dr..
Freeman, "that much Of the summer
complaint among children is caused
by the eating of green and immature
fruit. Much of the sickness among
adults is also from the same cause"
What is the direct result of eat
ing green fruit?" the doctor was ask
ed.
"In children summer complaint Oft
times resulting in death. In adults
an injury to the mucous membranes,
bringing about chronic diarrhoea,
liver troubles and other ecute diseases
resulting in cancer OF the stomach and
death. Green and immature fruit is
offered for sale in New York in alarming
quantities and much sickness is caused
by it," # &.
No one who has never investigateiE
the matter has any idea Of the stupen-;
dous business that is done every dsya
in the year, except holidays and SuE11z4
days, in the shipment Of fruits and
vegetables to this market. If you 20
TO the wharves in Manhattan any
morning as early as O'Clock you will
see great quantities Of fruits and vege-
tables come in by boat and train from
all parts Of the world. You will see
commission msn receiving large con-
signnents from every point Of the
compass. Great lunches Of bananas
from Central America will be stacked
Up IN heaps on the pier. Crate after
crate of pineapples from Havana,
Florida, Key West, the Indian River
and Porto Rico will be piled indiscrim-
inately wherever an inch Of room may
be found. Boxes of lemons and
oranges will be. placed .cne on top Of
another till the towers threaten to top
pie over. There will be barrels Of
apples and crates of strawberries,
great boxes Of cabbages and toma-
toes from the South, and every vari-
ETY. of fruit and vegetables that is in
season.
You will see the commission men
rapidly sort out their shipments, and
IN an an hour or two you will see the
Wholesale fruit and produce jobbers
cone to the wharf aud make their pur-
chases. They buy IN car lots and
their teams convey tho produce 10 the
big wholesale markets. The most i'm
portant of these markets in Manhat-
tan are Ganscvoort Market, Washing
ton Market, Catharine and West
Clinton street markets. In Brooklyn
the chief wbO1eoa1o ,n,rl.ot :, .bo