The Washington times., 1906-11-21

ausculta ton and percussion normal
headache absent for past four days
bowels are normal.
March -. Improving; gaining weight /;
cough better.
April . Had febrile attack OO3 de-
grees F. twelve days ago; no re-
currence since; has troublesome
cough; throat sore.
April 4. Examined throat today; gen
eral catarrhal laryngitis with
pharyngeal involvemefiC. prescribed
gaTgle
April o Throat has improved: cough
IS better; has slightly lost weight;
appetite ia poor.
April g No Improvement: recon-
mended that he be dropped from
experimental observation.
Borax in Butter.
The department records also show
that the food given the members Of the
squad, which was organized to deter
mine the effects Of food preservatives
on the human system. was OF the best
and largely varied. Ia the record OF
the experiments, this statement is
made.
'BOTax was selected as the first pre-
servative 70 be experimental with,
both because II is probably the most
important OF the commonly used pre-
serVatiVes and also because IL lends
demonstration. The preservattye was
exhibited in two forms. namely, borax
and Aoric acid, as II was thought possi-
bic tnat the soda entering into the for
mer might produce some modification
or the results.
During the first part Of the expert
ments here described ths bOraK or
bGrlc acid was mixed with the butter.
Ia later periods OF the study IL was
deemed advisable for many reasons 10
administer the preservative in cap
sules."
Mrs. Latham today contradicted the
report that she would make any claim
for damages against the Government.
She takes the position that the "poison
squad" and its effects ought TO be ex-
posed as warning 70 other young men.
To do this. she says. is her great y .sh
at present
During the young mans Illness, Or.
Wiley, Il was said today, befriended
him and did all in his power TO lessen
his sufferings and TO comfort the sor-
rowing mother, He visited the family
In its modest home on the third floor
at 6l3 Thirteenth street frequently. Also
many young men IN the department. who
had known Freeman, visited him and
helped him tn his illness
Young Freeman was a Iovable man.
devoted 20 his family, an ardent Y. NJ.
(. A. worker and very popular.
Opinion of Physicians.
Among medical men today the opinion
was expressed that the food admin
istered 10 the poison squad could not
have been. in any event. directly re-
sponsible for Freeman's developing
tuberculosis. Some were inclined 10 ad-
nit that Il was possible that his sys-
TEN might have been so weakened as
20 permit the tuberculosis germ to get
a hold on him. They all maintained that
no food can give tuberculosis. Il Is a
disease that must come from a germ.
But in the rooms where Death Is the
mother VIII not be cOmforted by such
distinctions.
7 know the food test killed my son."
she said this afternoon.
She spoke, shaken by q storm OF un-
cOn-roliable tears. At timea ahe was al
most lncOhereuL once her voice was
wall as she told of her sons suffer ugs
She made no secret OF her bitter resent
ment toward the Government tests OF
food as conducted in the poison squad"
Bereaved Mothers Statement.
His stomach was destroyed by the
poisons he was forced 10 swCHow," she
continued, and for the last three years.
he has been total wreck His stomach
was eaten out absolutely. and as a re-
suit, he could not retain food or medi-
cine.
THE food test. conducted by DIT
Wiley. was directly responsible for his
death and for the serious illness OF
others. When my son became a mem
beT OF the Poison Squad. / did not
know IT, He told me that he Was eat
ing with a friend. whose people were
in the country. and 1t was about six
months after the tests has been going on
that 1 found il out.
Robert was deathly i'll at that time,
and I called in a physician, 10 whom
the boy told the whole story. He was
in bed for about two weeks. and prom
the food test table, but he did.
within month, he was forced TO
resign his position on account Of III
health, and the physician who attended
him said that he would have to 20 out
West I packed him up and sent him
away, but our means would not permit
his staying. so he had to come home. He
has been critically III for many months,
and We have been expecting his death
at any time.
"Dr. Wiley was in TO see the boy
week ago Sunday. and he said at that
time that he could not get well
Boys Story Withheld.
when he saw that he was dying,
Robert sent for a newspaper reporter
and gave him the whole story. The re-
porter left my home and went to see
Dr. Wiley. and for some reason has
never published what we gave him.
i do not intend 10 prosecute the
or DR.. Wiley" Mrs Lath-
an concluded, but | dc think the whole
matter should be given an airing for
the protection of other young men who
go through the same thing. There are
several who have suffered almost to
death through the tests and they want
me to push the prosecution as far as
IL will go. / only want to warn others
of the dangers OF experiments" "
The funeral will take place ct 1880
o clock tomorrow morning at the Church
Of the Ascension. where Freeman was
at one time a choir boy. 1t is expected
that large number of Agricultural De-
partment employees will attend the
funeral