The Washington herald., 1906-10-17
ALCOHOL SQUAD NEXT
DR.. Wiley to Try Effects of
Liquor on Humanity.
SURE OF ENOUGH SUBJECTS
'OId BOrax" says Nothing When
Asked if lie viii Petition Congress-
for Permission to start Practical
Drunk Test-WiIi 3eEin His Salt
petre Investigation Very Soon.

! If Congress will consent to H. Dr.
Harvey ". Wiley, chief chemist of the
Department OF Agriculture. affectionately
Icalled odd Borax" by his fellow scien-
fists. will inaUgurate next year a series
Of experiments to determine the effect of
IaIcobol on the human stomach.
/ OF course. nearly everybody has an idea
I that booze has deleteri0us effect on
1.-THE system IN general. and the stomach IN
+ particular: that an incorporate use Of
strong drink is followed by what is tech
Inically known as the big head while
tcontinued use of fire water produces what
/ is known as snakes.
! But Or. Wiley wants tne facts, scien-
itihc facts, and 10 bis mind nothing brings
/ out scientific facts quite 50 well as scien-
/ tIdc experimentation.
/ And "Old Borax' wants live things for
/ his experiments. Therefore when he made
I up his mind to ascertain the effect OF
T boracic acid on the internal economy of
man he induced a number Of youths to
offer themselves for the sacrifice. Thus
was formed what Is now known TO fame
as 'WiIeys Poison Squad" The squad
ate bOTdx for weeks. and the results were
wonderful to behold
I ON one occasion. SO it is related, each
member of the squad turned Il beautiful
pink. while on another their antics were
such as 10 cause the gravest alarm on
/ the part OF Dr. Wiley and the other eX-
/ psrts who watched the subjects with as
4 much care and s0licltude as a mother
would her babe But the b0rax poison
squad emerged from the chemical dark
room whole. and finally became healthy
gain. c-lI the results were placed before
+ IN w,rll In a brochure that has been dis
tribu et ~ the thousands.
Wants Captive Stomaehs.
/ ri.is IS the way it became known that
( DR.. Wiley enteTtains the hope that some
+ day he viii be permitted TO get dozen
or so human stomachs il captivity and
( an them with all forms q alcohol, from
+ the real goods IN the rough. grading Up
I from hard cider and bee. 20 straight
whisky. then 10 the hlghbaE and then
+ the cocktail. and from that delicious con-
coctiOn 70 the finest mixed that is
handed over the best bars.
SnItpetrc Tests soon.
II has been whispered in Washington
. for some weeks that another poison squad
was about 70 begin doing business in Dr.
Wiley's laboratory IN a week or so. Dr.
Wiley confirmed the report to-day.
1t Is true" he said. This time We
shall use food products containing salt
petre."
VIII the same squad be again enlist
ed?' he was asked
Probably not" WIS the reply
DR.. Wiley was asked Il the subjects
would be taken from the general public.
No" he said We prefer young men
IN the bureau. About dozen VIII De Sc
lected."
He then explained that the squad would
be on trial Tor about four weeks, curing
which time they would be under careful
examination by Or. Wiley and his assist
ants For the first two weeks they would
+. De I'D The puTest Of food. and IN the last
two weeks they would get the adulterated
Droreuce-, Goctored with saltpetre.
DIR. wiley Only Smiles.
d.. Wiley was then asked If he had
ever given any consideration to expert
ments Of q ike nature with alcohol He
smiled.
"Oh. yes" ne said. But that would
require az act Ct Congress. Under the
law We are able 70 experiments only with
coloring matter and preservatives."
Dr.. Wiley again smiled-a ,yfuI happy
smile. he knew that IL he called for sub
Jects for an alcohol bath the roads 20
tho departmental building would be
crowded with merry. happy throng. not
only willing but anxious % lay down
even their lives in the cause Of science.
d. Wiley did not say whether or not
lie would ask Congress 10 authorize him
70 add an alc-iIUl class 10 his bureau. but
It Is s'fs 90 say sha, be IS willing.