Arizona republican., 1912-11-30
- Arizona Republican Editorial Page I
Concerrinu Ptomaines

The Republican has just received a communi cation from Mir. H. L. Harris pubcist of New York who mentions that in the issue of The Re publican of November 9. he read account of the death of a resident of this city. of ptomaine poi soning. concerning which disease he has for some years been compiling interesting statistics. Mir Harris writes:
 T believe no better work can be done by the press than to the public of the danger exist ing partaking of foods properly preserved and the necessity of utilizing canned goods possible after opening the can.
 Scientific experiments have determined time and time again that numerous articles of food when not kept in hygienc condition readily detero- become poisonous substances.
 The formation of ptomanes generally. although not always, accompanies putrefactOn. therefore. should be taken that meat fish fowl. oysters canned goods, etc, only when partake of food when putrefacton has commenced.
 Food be kept in hygienc condition either by heat refrigeration by the exclusion of air or by the application of substances which on account of their antsepfic properties, prevent the growth of poisonous germs.
 Statistics show that since the enactment of the pure food law there been 34 19S cases of ptomaine poisoning, 1474 of which fatal. It is certainly distressing think of this num- Der of persons becoming i'll and of many inno- cent lives lost merely because food products preserved to keep them in hygienic diton until consumed. Such distressing conditions will continue to prevail long consumers do not heed the warning of the danger existing in consuming foods not kept in an hygienic condition
 We that in his identification of the period of the operation of the pure food law with the ptomaine poisoning statistics MT. Harris is not trying ingeniousy to reopen the salycic acid troversy which ragged furiousy years ago and which finally ended with judgment against that preservative.
 Our investigation of the causes of ptomaine poisoning been wide as those of Mir. Harris and We do not know that in proportion to the population. of poisoning been more numerous than they within any equal period before the enactment of the pure food law We do know that there is any more intimate rela- ton between that law subsequent cases of ptOmaine poisoning than there is between the number appendicitis in recent years and the popular discovery, about twenty years ago of the existence of the vermiform appendix as a than useless organ. subject to serious in flammation.
 Cases of ptomaine poisoning in this locality that to the notice of The Republican are in- vestigated witht special reference to the cause We have found that they have generally resulted from the eating of meats and fruits which preser- vative would have been applied if there had been no pure food law. Some cases have been traced to the eating canned goods. Carelessness in restaurants is the chief of ptomaine poison ing; over ripe meats, especially sausages ire quent direct over ripe water melons have caused many of a peculiarly active and vio- lent character
 But to canned goods long before d pure food law dreamed of fruits were put up 1T households always without any kind a preserva tive except thorough cooking and secure sealing If the latter happened to be defective nature sup. pemented the sealing process with a layer of mold We never heard of ptOmaines then It un til the large canning factories employed careles! methods that the need of pure food was felt