New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-26
OYSTER DEEPLY WRONCED
Scientists Hasten to RehabiIi.
tate Its Damaged Reputation.
FEW BEDS DANGEROUS
In Cold Weather These Are
Safe, Because, Says DR.. Pease,
Bivalves Hibernate.

A prominent bac,erlologist OF this city
who has studied tho dangers which lur&
in the succulent oyster declared yester-
day that q great injustice was being done
TO the oyster trade OF this country by the
present agitation against the appetlzins
deicacy Only very small proportion
Of tho beds In this country were In dan
ger OF contamination from polluted water,
IL. said, and the oysters taken from
'hosa were dangerous only al certain
times Of the year.
"Thc only danger in the oyster is from
typhoid" this authority sald, 'and you
cart have typhoid without human pollu-
ton. There are very few beds which arc
near enough TO human pollution 10 he
contaminated. II the source os pollution
is a sufficient distance away. the water
wll purify itself before 1t reaches the
habitat OF the oyster. \ review Of tie
typhoid cases traced 10 oysters shows
that the amount Of impurlty In the water
is generally very small, but the source
very near TO the bed. "
Tie remarks OF this authority were
borne out by the testimony which Dr.
Herbert -. Pease, now IN charge or the
Ledcrlc Laboratories. and regarded as the
tore Most authority on oysters IN the coun-
Try. gave before the Supreme Court conf
missioner who is hearing the SVit against
the lassaic Valley Sewage Commission.
DIR. Peasc's testimony showed that oys-
tors hibernated in the winter months IN
much tho same manner as squirrels, AMI
that. theoretically, IL should be perfect
salo to eat them during the hibernaunE
season. no matter how polluted the
water from which they were taken.
\ close study Of oysters IN Their nat
Lral haunts over period Of years prougnt
Dr. Pease ~ the conclusion, he said, thai
with the onset Of cold wea ther and the
consequent rail- in the temperature OF the
water IN. oyster passed from active feed
Ing 10 complete physical inactivity: The
oysters ceased 10 feed. the experiments
showed, a. soon az the temperature OF
the water remained substantially below
~ degrees Fahrenheit, and they Gid rot
resume their feeding in the spring uEtii
the water attained temperature o.
nearly 80 degrees.
The time nj which Information set ia
was generally toward the end OF October
or early IN November. according 10 TIE
varying temperature IN different year,
and the latter part OF May usually marked
their resumption or activity. An cXanli-
nation u thc oysters during this period
showed, the doctor testified. that soon
after complete Information set In. !ntes-
final bacilli entirely disappeared from the
absence OF bacilli was notice"'le g. go
a. the temperature OF the water rcDlalnec
below g. degrees Fahrerh
Il nave frequently expressed the opil-
ion said Dr.. Pease, that IN -. .'
from the beds OF the Great Ki'l ''.
sac Tor consumption in the raw stst"
when removed from the beds during
either the alternating or th NJ
mating season. but that n there was an!
substantial increase in the pollution o.
the harbor waters the oysters would con-
tain in the alternating season sucA
numbers OF bacteria as 20 make theli
shipment in interstate commerce Illegal
under the readings which the courts have
attached 10 the pure iood law"
In this connection the testimony o.
Azel Z. Merrill, FOR four years presideni
cf The Ma ional oyster Growers sne
Dealers Association, vas also intere-s-
ing. mr. Merrill told the court that sbou
twenty wears ago Newark Bay, tho ~
thi:r l<ill and the XII van kul! were al
seed lands from which many OF the IN
Iabitants Of Bloomfield, Chelsea, Ross
Vile ana TottehvilIe gained their Twins
These lands. he said, We're now entirelN
oestroyed By sewage pollution and the
oyster industry in these towns wiped out.