The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-11-30
POISON QUAD MEMBER DEAD
His Mother Says Boric Acid Tests
Killed Him.

Washington, D. C. (SpeciaD -
Robert Vance Freeman, % years old
and a member of the first poison
squad" in the experiments conducted
by Professor Wiley, chief of the
Bureau of Chemistry, Department of
| Agriculture, died at his home, in
this city, from tuberculosis. Mrs.
| Lurea Latham, his mother, declares
her sons death was caused by his,
service in the poison squad" and
due to effects of boric acid and adul-
trants placed in his food after he
volunteered his services to DR.. Wiley
| for his pure-food experiment.
Mrs. Latham declared that he was.
| healthy and sturdy when her son
| Joined the poison squad" and made
a better average in the physical ex-
| animation than any of. the SO men
who were examined at the same time.
She declares that they told him that
the poisoned food had no effect on
his constitution, but he began to-
fail from the first day he became
a member of the class. In less than
six months he was discharged from
the class as disabled.
The records of the department
show that young Freeman was not
in sound physical condition when
he became member of the boric:
acid squad two years ago, and that
the. preliminary examinations of the
young man indicated lung trouble,
and he was recommended to drop
from the squad on April %, some
weeks before the squad was dis
banded
While the young mans mother in
sists that food tests killed her son.
medical men in the city do not hold
that opinion, and declare that the,
food administered to the poison
squad" could not have been in any
event directly responsible for Free
mans development of tuberculosis.
Speaking about her sons last ill
ness, Mrs. Latham said:
His stomach was destroyed by
the poisons he was forced to swal-
low" she continued, land for the
last three years he has been total
wreck. His stomach was eaten out
absolutely, and as a result he could
not retain food or medicine.
''The food test conducted by DR..
Wiley was directly responsible for his.
death and for the serious illness of
others. When my son became a.
member of the poison squad I did not
know it. He told me that he was
eating with a friend, whose people
were in the country, and it was about
six months after the tests had been
going on that l found it out.
Robert was deathly i'll at that
time, and I called in a physician, to-
whom the boy told the whole story.
He was in bed for about two weeks
and promised me that he would not
go back to the food-test table, but
he did.
within a month he was forced
to resign his position on account of
i'll health, and the physician who at
tended him said that he would have
to go 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 had been
critically ill for many months, and
we have been expecting his death at
any time.
'Dr. Wiley was in to see the boy
a week ago Sunday, and he said at
that time that he could not get well.
81 do not intend to prosecute the
government of DR.. Wiley" Mrs.
Latham concluded, but / do think
the whole matter should be given an
airing for the protection of other
young men who go through the same
thing.