The Washington times., 1903-12-15
"P0ISON SQUAD" VICTIMS
Welded TO TOBACCO
Wylie Confides Woes to a
Curious Public.
VOLUNTEERS SIGNED PLEDGE
Bureau Chief Fails to Divulge Results
of Experiment With Borax in
Annual Report.

No hint as TO his conclusions in re-
gard to the effect upon the human sys-
tenn OF borax as a food preservative
is given by DR.. Harvey w Wiley. chief
of the Bureau of Chemistry of the Agri-
cultural Department. in his annual re-
port. which has just been issued in
pamphlet form. He tells what has al
ready been published about the manner
in which the experiments were con-
Quoted. and gives tables showing the
amount Of chicken. roast beef, roast
lamb and beefsteak consumed; but that
is about all the new information he
furnishes the anxious public at this
time.
The prevalence Of smoking and drink
ing among the young men OF the Agri-
cultural Department will probably cause
great sorrow to the temperance reform
ers. DR.. Wiley called for volunteers
FOR his poison squad and received nu-
merous applications. as the Government
provided free board for the victims
He wished 10 obtain twelve young men
who neither smoked, chewed. nor drank.
but had to give it up. He had trouble
getting twelve who did not drink alcohol
at all, but on the smoking proposition
he was stumped. He had 10 compro-
mise by making the smokers sign
pledge not TO smoke. I'm the course of
a day, an allowance of tobacco larger
than that named by the doctor
Glasses of Six.
Despite their sad tendency to dehle
themselves with tobacco. the doctor
says the young men who boarded at his
experiment table were as high a grade of
upright and moral young men as ever
made speeches before the W. c. T. L.
These shining lights were divided into
two classes of six each, and took turn
about In the matter Of assimilating the
poison, for. says the doctor. lit was evil
GENTLY impracticabIe for young man TO
continue seven or eight months in so
strenuous life at so small a compensa-
ton
The plan was to feed a block Of six on
wholesome grub ten days, then feed
them on boraxed grub for ten or fifteen
days. Thus the subjects had a chance
TO rest their stomachs. It was neces-
sary to have so many men in the ex-
periments because of the vagaries of
different human beings in the matter
of food. Often what a man likes most
for breakfast his mother-in-law can't
eat without developing indigestion, and
so he doesn't get his favorite tidbit 1t
was necessary TO avoid the chance of
having the experiments go wrong be-
cause of the possibility that a single
subject might prove a man with a
cranky digestion.
Stages of the Apple.
Many experiments were conducted last
year to determinee the chemical make
up OF the apple at different stays OF its
growth. They will be continued, and
the doctor expects to be able to tell
before long just why It is necessary to
send for the family physician a couple
OF hours after the small boy has Toasted
on green pippins.
Experiments in alcohol were carried
on to head of q scheme to bring ordi-
nary alcohol into this country in fuseI
OIL. Ordinary alcohol Is the only kind
which is not actively poisonous Il can
be imported mixed with fusel oil at
greatly reduced tariff. and this alcohol
is then isolated. The isolation is not
always complete and there is great
danger that enough of the methyI and
other dangerous alcohols may remain
10 make the product dangerous
Alum in Water.
Warning is given against the use of
alum in water except under expert
supervision, as otherwise It becomes a
menace 10 health.
Examinations OF 107 specimens of min
eral water were made. They showed
that many OF the waters do not con-
tain the properties advertised for them.
This was especially true Of many of the
so-caLed hthia waters. which contained
only faint traces OF lithia.
Arsenic in Injurious quantities was
found In many Wallpapers. furs and
fabrics. 1t was found especially strong
as another danger in the festive black
orop-stitch stocking.