Evening journal., 1911-07-03
NO PTOMAINES,
SAYS GAMERS
Investigators Make Report on
Three Cases Of Illness Of
WiIminetOnianS

the eating of canned fruit or Vcget-
ables. The investigators assert that
not one of the cases was ptomaine
poisoning. and furthermore they raise
a serious doubt as to whether eating
canned fruit or vegetables was even
cause Of Illness In any of the cases.
The canning industry is one of the
foremost in Delaware and the can
ners. striving to maintain pure pro-
ducts. investigate every case OF al-
legged ptomaine poisoning reported
They say they are yet to find an in
stance Of actual ptomaine poison pro-
duced by eating canned goods. Della
ware stands third in the canning in-
dustry in the United States. and the
industry is sixth in the list Of general
industries of Delaware.
Frank E. Gorrell, of Bel Air, Md,
secretary of the National Gamers
Association. has sent the following
report of the result Of an investiga-
tion made of three Wilmington cases:
Statement OF Investigation.
No. 1. This is the case in which
MT. and Mrs. Lewis Peters and their
two children were alleged TO have
suffered illness from ptomaine poison
ing due to canned peaches.
Regarding this case Of so-called
ptomaine poisoning, treated by DIR.
Rogers and reported in THE EVEN
ING JOURNAL Of May 16, the Ma
tional Gamers Association believes
that Dr. Rogers was mistaken IN his
diagnosis and would not have made
it II he had gone more deeply into
the subject
Dr. Oslers Modern Medicine says:
"The term (ptomaine poison
should be confined 10 instances of in
toxication Qllness) due TO decomposed
food and accompanied by elimination
Of the poison lin the excretionsl. All
other usage (of the term ptomaine
poisoning) is guess work"
Mrs Peters stated to our repre-
sentative that the peaches We're used
within an hour after the can was
opened: that they were nice and
sweet Mr. Peters stated he had
never tasted more natural peach in
his life
AS ptomaines can only be isolated
by competent chemists lin a we'll
equipped laboratory. and then only IN
minute quantities we take It for
granted that this was not done.
Ptomaines are chemical compounds
formed by the action OF bacteria. AS
an bacteria are destroyed by heat
sterilization In the process Of cam
ming; and as 1t takes from seven 20
ten days for poisonous ptomaines to
form vaughan p. 24S) I'm order that
the case be considered ptomaine pOis-
on, we would expect to find
fal An organism which forms
ptomaines.
OBJ A poisonous variety of
ptomaines,
(o) Some evidence Of decomposi-
ton
(d) A sufficient length of time
during which decomposition had been
going on.
(e) That the ordinary organism OF
intestinal diseases we're absent, as
the para-typhoid bacillus.
AS none of these conditions were
fulfilled, we agree with DR.. Osler that
all other usage of the term ptomaine
poisoning is guess work"
No. 2. The family of William L..
Day, Benson Avenue, were alleged to
have been made III after canned peach
es. This case was published in your
issue Of May 23rd
In the investigation of this case.
our representative found that the fam
lily had a meal consisting Of ordinary
food and a can of peaches. Several
hours afterward Mr.. Day was taken
Slightly IN. and he was the only one
who suffered 70 any extent. He has
chronic stomach trouble and this con-
dition has existed for a number of
years.
The next night Mrs. Day told cur
representative she was "a little un-
der the weather." but went about her
household duties as usual, and that no
other members of the family felt any
III effects at all No physician was
calied In this case, as it was NOT
deemed necessary. and when asked
why the illness was blamed on the
peaches Mr.. Day said they were the
only thing that she could remember
having eaten which could have caused
the trouble
She denied giving the story to the
press and felt disposed to treat the
matter lightly. Mrs. Day further stat
ed that they had been using the same
brand of peaches for more than a
year and had never before felt any III
effects.
Mrs. Days married daughter corrob-
GRATED the above statement 20 our rep
resentative:
No. 3 Mr.. and Mrs James McCor-
= pick, Second and Madison streets.
Wilmington, who. according to an
article appearing in The Evening
Journal, of June 7th, were suffering
from an attack of ptomaine poisoning
caused by canned tomatoes while vis-
iting at Atlantic City on June 3rd and
4th, We're visited by our representa-
tive and in an interview, both Mr.. and
Mrs. Mccormick stated in brief that
they had eaten meal at a restaurant
at Atlantic City, of which stewed To-
matoes had formed a part-that some
tine during the night they were taken
Ill and called in DR.. Leonard, of At
laltic City. who they claimed had
diagnosed the case as ptomaine
poisoning and prescribed accordingly
After Mr.. and Mrs. Mccormick re-
turned 10 Wilmington on the 9th, they
were still suffering and called in DR.
J. Harvey Spruance, one of Whining
tons prominent physicians. Our rep.
resentative interviewed DR.. Spruance
and he stated that he had made nc
diagnosis Of the case of Mr.. and Mrs
Mccormick and could not say posi-.
lively that the case was ptomains
poisoning. but that as DR. Leonard, o
Atlantic City, had diagnosed the case
as such. he had treated them for It
DR.. Spruance said further that at thi,