Evening journal., 1911-05-18
DOUBTS CAUSE
OF POISONING
President HOffeCker, Of Pack
erS' Association, Gives
Views as TO PtOmaineS

Editor or The EVENING JOUR-
NAL / see In your isue Of the 10th
inst an article headed "Ptomaine In
Canned Fruit" For your informa-
ton let me say that the National Can
ners' Association Is an incorporated
organization and has in its working
machinery a department. known as
the Bureau Of Publicity. and this bu-
reau has in the past two years in
vestigated over one hundred cases OF
alleged ptomaine poisoning from eat
Ing canned foods of various kinds
and In NOT q single instance have the
facts sustained the charges. This Is
I a remarkable record that IN not a
single case has a thorough investiga-
ton revealed ptomalne poisoning as
was alleged IN the published article.
From this record ] am strongly in
clined 10 doubt the charge I'm your
article. and have sent a marked copy
Of the paper 10 our bureau. and you
Will promptly hear from the secre-
tary.
The prejudice against canned foods
is widespread, largely because OF
these unfounded articles appearing
I'm the newspapers There is no 9TH
er industry I'm the land that begins 10
suffer the knocks that the canning
industry gets from the newspapers.
greatly 10 its detriment, and absolute
ly 10 the benefit Of nobody The most
recent convert Of eminence 10 canned
foods is Marian Harland, the famous
cook book author She has all her
life been preiudiced against canned
foods She was persuaded to inves-
tigate canned foods. and did so thor
oughly in her own private laboratory
and today as a result Of that investiga-
tion is one of the staunchest advocates
OF canned foods the industry has
Dr. Harvey W Wiley. the head Of
the Bureau Of Chemistry Of the Agri-
cultural Department at Washington is
authority for the statement that there
are no purer. more wholesome or
more sanitary foods appearing on the
American table today than canned
foods.
A fact revealed by chemistry is that
there are certain germs appearing ON
fruits and vegetables in the orchards
and fields where they are harvested
that remain on them when they are
killed, because Of the impossibility Of
getting the temperature in the dinner
pot sufficiently high 10 do this. Water
boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit The
temperature of the dinner pot Of a
cook stove, therefore. cannot be raised
above 211 degrees. Whereas in the
canning factory. temperatures from
240 degrees to 25O degrees are attain
ed. and there is no germ life known
! to science that can live above 220
degrees. a temperature impossible to
obtain in the dinner pot Since your
paper circulates in a section In which
the canning industry is so prominent
am sure you would not knowingly
publish an article to its detriment
and suggest that you thoroughly in
vestigate the alleged case Of ptomaine
poisoning from eating canned
peaches.
Very truly yours.
W. o. Hoffecker.
President Tri-State Packers Associa-
tion.
Smyrna. Del. May IT. 1911.
Dr. Elwood l. Rogers. who is at
tending the four members of the fam
fly of Lewis Peters. who are suffering
with ptomaine poisoning. as a result
OF eating canned peaches. made the
statement today that the family Is
suffering with ptomaine poisoning.
did eating canned peaches cause
the sickness" the doctor was asked.
1T certainly did," replied the ply
sician.
The patents are still confined To
their beds. though the condition Of all
four was reported much improved to-