The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-07-16
WORKING OF
NEW FOOD LAW
SEW EN- YEARS EXPERT
MENTS ON SQUAD OF
12 YOUNG MEN TO
DETERMINE Eff
Feet OF
DRUGS.

SCClS Sldl VI dS iiSuitlii =, liC Pun
food law of June 30, 1906, is one
OF the finest examples of legrsla-
tive art redounding greatly to the
credit of the benehcent republi-
can party. 1t was TWO years old
on the last day of last month. The
view of the head of the depart
ment of agriculture is concurred
in by DR.. Harvey w. Wiley.
chief of the bureau of chemistry
the original pure food advocate
who one time was the thumbs
up and thumbs down man in all
matters relating to pure food
DR.. Frederick l.. Dunlap, asso-
ciate chemist of the department
and George Patrick McCabe, the
curly-haired solicitor for the de-
partment.
In disbanding his poison squad
DR.. H. w. Wiley gives notice
that he considers his work done
For seven years he has been striv-
ing for an answer to the question
asked as to a number of chem
icals used in the preparation OF
food, Are they harmful. -
The squad, at the beginning oi
the experiments, seven years ago
consisted of twelve yoting men
nearly all employed in the de-
partment OF agriculture, who vol
unfairly submitted to strict reg
linen as part of their contribution
to scientific research. For the frs
hvs years OF the experiment, DR.
Wiley gave the diet OF the young
men and their medical care hi:
personal attention. During the
last two years the business o
getting down to the die kitchen
in the basement of the bureau o
chemistry at Z a. M. has been tina
of DIR. Webber, one of Wiley:
assistants.
The final order to break ranks
was given a few days ago. Ac
cording to DR.. Wiley tn, volun
teers have emerged from the fgh
with their internal economics il
as good condition as they wer'
before they offered their healtl
a willing sacrifice in the interes
of pure food. The relatives o
one member of the squad believ,
his death was caused by his sub
mission to the tests. The youn,
man in question developed tn
berculosis and his mother talke'
of suing DIR. Wiley for damages
but the case has not been brought
DR.. Wiley in discussing TIL
matter said that physician
watched the young men and a
soon as their condition becam
serious they were ministered t
without delay and temporarily
taken from the squad and KEEP
away until they were in perfec
condition. Then before the,
were permitted to again subjec
| themselves to the tests they wer
thoroughly quizzed as to wllethe
they were offering to resum
work because they desired to b
obliging or whether they reall
felt as we'll as the examining O
the doctors indicated they were
In no case wherein the least doub
existed was one of them permit
ted to return to the test table.
| There was no known o. regula
way of administering the chem
Gals. Sometimes they were intro
| duced into the system as the
would be were the subjects to &
into the market and buy the icot
| AT other times blank capsule
were used 10 see how much @
an effect the imagination wa
Having on them. The creates
efforts were made TO eliminat
the imagination. The young me
who showed themselves too sus
Iceptible to it were set aside.
i They were all required to d
their customary stunt of worl
The object was to note the effeG
upon men engaged in their usu.
employments-not upon subject
especially prepared for the ties
With nothing else to do. Sue
tests it was agreed between til
doctor and his assistants woul
be of little value because the pre-
,ess would not be natural.
fhe meals served to the youn
men were such as they had bee
accustomed to have in the
homes and in their boardin
houses. The hours of servin
them were rigidly adhered +
, breakfast being at 8 o'clock, luno
four hours later to the minu
and dinner at ) 30 O'Clock.