Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-26
Recent Findings of Special
Board ofClemistsSevere Blow
to Pure Food Expert
SCIENTIFIC COURT ADvERs
Men Who Declared Wiley Was Mis-.
taken Leaders in Chemistry - Re.
ports of Three Investigators All
Agreed as to HarmIessness of Ger
tain Preservative.
Especial Correspondence.

Washington, Jan. 26.-Dr. Harvey
W. Wiley, chief chemist and pure food
expert, may resign his post because he
was fatty turned down by President
Roosevelrs referee board of, consulting
chemists in pure food matters, which
decided squarely against DR.. Wiley as
to the use of benzoate of soda. This
preservative has been the primary bone
has ragged the battle of pure food, be-
tween the idealists and the practical
food manufacturers
DR.. Wiley, when seen, declined to dis
cuss the matter. He had just returned
to the city, and had not had informa-
ton concerning the decision till it was
conveyed to him by a reporter. He was
asked If the decision impressed him as
a reputation of his course, and de-
clined to make any statement. tho he
listened with much attention to the
general statement of what the referee
board had found.
Il have nothing whatever to say at
this time" he said.
But doubtless you will have state
ment to make later?''
II don't know whether will have or
not; certainly not before I shall have
seen and had opportunity to digest the
full report"
Sort Of Scientific Court.
This is the first case referred to the
board under it's commission from the
- 1,, l4l hna v,I
sists of President Remsen, of Johns
Hopkins university; Prof A. E. Taylor,
University of California; Prof. Russell
Fl. Chittenden, of Yale: Prof Christian
A. Herter. New York; Prof. John II.
Long. Northwestern university, Chica-
go. 1t was appointed as a sort of scien-
tific court of last resort at the instance
Of protesting food manufacturers who
declared that DR. Wiley's board was
prejudiced, unreasonable, and commit
ted to course so unfriendiy to them
as to amounc to a great menace to
their business even when carried on in
the most punctilious way. The real set
of questions for the board to decide, re-
lates to the use of the various preserv-
s.tives which have been put under the
ban, or whose use has been strictly
limited, under the orders of DR.. Wiley.
These preservatives, the question of
whose use has already been put up to
the referees, are:
Benzoic acid and Its various salts,
especially sodium benzoate..
Sulphate of copper.
Saccharine
Benzoate Considered Bad.
! AS sodium benzoate has been looked
upon as the worst offender in the eyes
of DR.. Wiley, and as it gets away with
a clean bill of health, the expectation
is that the three others, concerning
which there has been sharp difference
of scientific opinion, will likewise be
let off. This will mean revolution in the
administration of the pure food act,
and constitutes the most sweeping VIC
tory for the food manufacturers.
The board Of referee chemists adopt
ed the plan originated by DR.. Wiley,
Of establishing poison squads and try
ing the preservatives "on the dog" AS
DR.. Wiley had organized squads of
young men in the government depart
ments here, so the referees formed like
groups at educational institutions, us
ing young men from the student body
who would pledge themselves to OBJ
serve vigorously the conditions of the
test, and to be studied by the scien-
fists.
Three Squads Organized.
Professor Long organized a squad at
Northwestern, Professor Chittenden
another at Yale, and Professor Herter
a third at Columbia. The experiments
continued four months, and are consid-
cred very exhaustive and conclusive.
An official who has followed the work
with close attention said today:
. when the completed report on this
investigation is published, it will be in
demand all over the world. It is the
greatest scientific inquiry of the sort
ever made. The best works of the Ger
man imperial board on health and OF
the British royal commission of pre-
servatives, has been entirely outdone.
The referee board was determined 10
issue no report until it should be able
to give the authoritative last word on
the subject; and have no doubt that
this report will be accepted every
where as just that"
The experiments were conducted
with both small and large doses of the