Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-05
proMAlNe POISON pvzzLEs
Beware of the Canned Goods When the
Tin Edge BulHes Out.

lin Edge BulEes Out.
Just what "ptomaine poisoning
really Is puzzles the average man, bu.
he is not so puzzled that lie proposes
to risk 1t In order to solve the enigma.
He is quite willing to walt until the
medical sharps have drawn their de-
auctions orOm the sufferings of others.
"Ptomail,e-poisoning" Is very much
like appendicitis is almost fashion,
able to have 1t. But the ptomaines
can not be toyed with as can appendi-
citis. They always mean business. and
there must be II hurry call for the doc
tor, when they make their presence
known. Like appendicitis. too. they
are charged with great many things
for which they are not responsible,
and they have In the past escaped
blame in cases where they deserved
all the censure.
Some queer ideas are extant about
ptomaines, one of the most widely
spread being that they are created by
the cans In which the majority of
this workaday "orld finds most of It's
food. But one of the scientific gentle
men In the agricultural department
will tell you. and perhaps with n s,l-
perior air and some condescension.
that that is just where you are most
In error. In n very few minutes he
can convince you that the only safe
food to eat. as far as ptomaines are
,nI 10
all others with suspicion. or course,
sometimes quite by accident. pto.
maines are found in canned foods.
But that is because they were in the
food before 1t got into the can. Any.
way. 1t is easy enough to avoid them
IL they are in the can. Cast your eye
over the ends of the can. If they
bulge. beware. II they sink in you
are safe.
But thought canned goods We're
the main cause of ptomane- poison
ingT' You suggest
"Sonsense!" is the reply. mo other
form of food is safer. The reason is
obvious. Canned goods are general,
prepared from fresh material. used
before there is opportunity for decon
position to reach the danger point. ana
they are further freed from danger OF
bacterial action by careful steriliza
ton"
Food-poisoning may be caused II
various ways, the most common causes
being those OF meat. sausage, fish
milk and cheese poisoning. through
bacterial actions producing ptomaines.
These bacterial changes usually take
place III the flesh before it is cured
or cooked. During this time the BAG
terra. which act by attacking the nit
1ogenous portions of the food and
breaking 1t up into other substances
some of which are poisonous. complete
their work SO thoroughly that even the
heat Of an oven or frying pan is iE
sufficient to destroy their newly ~
quired poisonous qualities. These
changes take place with great rapid
ity and are almost impossible to de
tect in their first stages. Later this
decomposition is accompanied by a
characteristic taste or odor, but the
food may have become dangerous be
fore these telltale evidences are no
iceable
The remedy lies, said the professor.
In stringent laws regulating the sale
of any food product that is open t.
suspicion-and especially in removing
from every creature that has been sac
rificed to the human appetite the In
testnal tract, where these dangerous
ORGANISMS are found In greatest album.
dance. The passage Of such laws
based on the work of the bacteriolog.
ical laboratories, has already marvel
ously reduced the number of reported
cases Of ne-polsonlng. Wash.
ington Post.