Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-22
The Several Reports.


milk supply of the institution and of mixing
or diluting the milk in the manner referred
to by the health officer in his comm unlca-
ton of October to the superintendent of
the school
Under date of October g. Commissioner
Macfarland addressed the board of trustees
of the Industrial Home School as follows:
please furnish me as soon as practicable
with report of the investigation which
you have been making with regard to the
recent cases of alleged poisoning at the In
dustrial Home School, and as to the milk
supply to the institution
Report of the Secretary.
The response of the trustees to the Com
missoners' letter is dated October 16 and
| is signed by Huldah w. Blackford, secre-
tary of the institution The text of the
communication follows:
Replying to your communication of Oc-
tober 3, 1903. regarding the outbreaks of
sickness, the trustees Of the Industrial
Home School have the honor to report that
fifty persons were attacked with illness on
August Is, between 10 and II o'clock in the
morning, in such n way as to suggest to
DR.. J. F. r. Appleby the attending physf-
clan, ptomaine or arsenous poisoning.
Three persons were critically i'll. Superin-
tendent Skinner took samples of the food
used at breakfast on the 18th and sam
pie of the contents of the stomach thrown
off by one of the patients to the health de-
partment for analysis. with view, If pos
! recurrence of the outbreak. Dr. John f.
Walsh, medical sanitary inspector of the
health department, visited the school on
the afternoon of August 10 for the purpose
of determining the cause of the outbreak.
DR. Walsh inspected the cooking utensils,
the storage place for milk and the water
supply.
IN a statement dated October g. 1903 ad-
dressed to Superintendent Skinner, DIR.
W. c. Woodward, health officer of the Dis
trict of Columbia, says: DR.. Walsh SOB
mitted a number OF samples or food hQr
analysis, and analyses were made with
negative results DIR. Walsh was unable
to determine the cause of the sickness.
The health officer in his statement to Mr..
Skinner does not refer to any analysis of
the samples of food used at breakfast on
the morning of the 18th, which were sub
mitted Mr.. Skinner states that he has
never heard the result of that analysis.
Thirty Children This Time.
"On the morning of August %. one week
from the date of the first outbreak, thirty
children were taken i'll in somewhat SINH
lar manner. and at the same hour of the
day that the outbreak occurred on August
10. The attending physician did not con-
sder any critically ILL., On the e5th Super
intendent Skinner again asked the health
department for a report of the analyses, at
the same time notifying Dr. Woodward of
the recurrence. In his statement of the 9th
of October to Mr.. Skinner, DIR. Woodward
says: personally visited the premises on
August &c, the day on which the report was
received, in company with Prof: Hird. the
chemist of the department., as in the first
outbreak nothing was dlScoNerable which
would sufficiently account for all cases.
After hearing DR.. Woodwards opinion
regarding the milk supply, the trustees
voted to act upon his suggestions and have
sent in a requistion for a refrigerator for
storing the milk; they also voted to request
the property clerk of the District to obtain
for the Industrial Home School supply of
mill other dealer,
DR.. Woodward's Statement.
DR.. Woodward's statement of October g
to Mr.. c. w. Skinner, superintendent of the
Industrial Home School, reads as follows.
In the matter Of the outbreaks of sickness
which occurred among the inmates of the
Industrial Home School during the month
of August last, 1 have the honor to submit
the following statement, the substance of
which has been heretofore communicated to
you:
ION August 49, upon receipt of informa-
ton from you to the effect that consider
able number of inmates of the Industrial
Home School had been taken sick the day
before Dr. John E. Walsh, medical sanitary
inspector of this department, was directed
to visit the school to investigate the out
break referred to and to report, If possible,
the cause of such outbreak, SO as to permit
proper precautions to be taken to prevent
recurrence. DR.. Walsh reported as the re-
suit of his visit that although out of 100
inmates n1ty were TAKEN SICK ABOUT In6
same time with nausea, vomiting and in
testinal pains, he was unable to determine
the cause of such sickness DR.. Walsh SUBJ
mitted a number Of samples Of food for
analysis, and analyses were made, with
negative results. The milk, however al
though chemical methods failed to indicate
the presence of any poisonous substance.
had an abnormal odor, the significance Of
which was uncertain because the milk was
in decomposed condition when received by
this department
ION August % this department was adj
vised by you that on the previous day an
other outbreak of sickness had occurred
similar to the first. The number taken sick
was however, somewhat smaller, only
thirty inmates being affected. Upon inves-
tigation the illness was found to correspond
closely in it's general character to the first
outbreak. 1 personally visited the premises
on the day on which the report was receiv-
ed. in company with Prof. J. D. Hird, the
chemist of this department. AS the
case in the first outbreak, nothing was dis
coverable which would sufficiently account
for all cases. The milk, however, although