The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-06-05
Is Coffee a Poison?
POISON SQUAD member
G0LlAPSES UNDER TEST
Philadelphia Student In Serious Con.
dition for Time, But Has
Recovered. \. =
COMPANIONS ARE SICK
Every Member Of Band Suffers Nau.
sea as Result Of Caffeine

Experiments.
PHILADELPHIA; May 1l.--Serious
results have followed the feeding OF :
caffeine. drug lurkingi n chocolate
as well as coffee. to the eight student
members Of the poison squad or the
Hahnemann Medical College here. All
have been subject to severe head aches
ana serious attacks Of nausea while
one member OF the squad was In such
serious condition. after taking the J.
caleine-laden water for the first TWEEN.
~ days that he had to be placed in Il
special ward In the hospital He re.
ceived constant attention. has reeov.
cred and at the college, is said 70 haze
rejoined the squad, Z, .ss
The poison squad atsihe Hahne..
mann college Wis formed very. quiet,
ly. 1t came into existence on, March L
and Is under the. direct supervision OF
DR.. Edmund T. Nesblt. director OF the
Herring laboratory OF the college.
DR.. Nesbit called for volunteers
from among the students He said Z
he wanted men who were wiling To-
do, something for the benefit OF hui.
manlty at large, even though II might
be to their own discomfiHlre, TWEEN
ly'iive students volunteered. Of
these fourteen OF the most perfect
physically were chosen, eleven as reg.
nlar members OF the squad and three
as al,ernates.
For thirty days the members OF the
squad were given doses OF caffeine
While DR.. NesDlt and his asslstanfs5,
made personal observations, taking
the pulses and temperature OF the
members of the squad and making
notes OH their general physical con.
dillon. 1t was not until within the
last few days that one member OF the
squad weakened under the experiment
10 such an extent that 1t was neces.
sary 70 send him to the hospital. DR..
Nesbit refuses 10 reveal thesname lots
the stdent who collapsed, hut de.
clares that through proper Treatment
Immediately he soon recovered. ~
The caffeine was administered In d
solution and was mixed with the wa,
Ter the squad drank. The students
did not know when they were getting
The caffeine. There were no staiSl
times for giving 1t in order u keep
the mind OF the student ireeJlroin Hotsz
ny IN order that the physical condition
might not be changed nIIIer.liiys.
through the action of'tne bran. ais
Before, joining the ''pU.-gl squaas Z
seach stud III mad ~ Ign i rsieage
against any u...on Tor damages
asatnst u .JiieSe. e4as ~
4 - .-DJIatury was organized a bout
I,icen n.untls ago with DR.. Nesbit as
Gas ,or. and almost Immediately any
exhaustive study was started to ascers
tain the destructive qualities or cats(
feline as used In food stuffs. u ~
Z The students coht.tued to live at +
the dormitories or at boarding houses.
but they were required to lake thelf,
meals at the training table Located IN
the hospital near the diet kitcnel, Iie;
fore each meal the temperature Sas
recorded, the pulse and respiration
were taken and the, blood pressure; I
was tested During the period the
drug was administered only Dr. Nea. K
T., knew the amount apportioned to,
each man and when and In, what Sqlalsf
thy It was administered. 81 q
New York SUNDAY IL, 1914