The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-03-03
Question Of ITO Eat or Not to
Eat" TO rs Settled by Chem
4 istry Bureau Head
TITS TO BE HIS
FIRST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
His Experts Are Taking Notes
Of the Statements Of PROBES.
s0rs Wiley and Phelps

~ mind, but which Will shortly De
solved by the department OF agricul.
ture. Frightened into abstemiousness
4 20 tar q oysters are concerned by re-
cent declarations OF DR.. Harvey w.
" Wiley, the oyster eating public. or
portion Of It az least, viii welcome
~ the result: OF an investigation now be-
b lng conducted by the bureau OF
chemistry, the pure food conservator
b of the government
s This will be the first pure food pro-
nouncement Of DR.. Carl A. Alsberg.
new chief Of the chemistry bureau
and successor OF DR.. Wiley.
a Professor Earle B. Phelps, noted
K Dciant1st Of Boston and one of the
y eAculty Of the Massachusetts, Institute
Elof Technology. takes sharp issue with
III Or. Wiley for his statement that more
II than s per cent OF the oysters offered
IN the eastern markets are not at to
"A oa4 and are dangerous to health.
DR.. Wiley recently announced that
al oysters of New York Bay, Maria
Il onnsett Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Poto-
u mao River, the waters near Norfolk,
!; tho mouth Of the James river, the
.Emouths Of the Connecticut and Merri-
mao rivers and other industrial
DtroAms, and the continental border
~ Long Island Sound are open to
Guspicion and should not be eaten
raw. In other words, he condemns
more than Is per cent Of the oysters
Il ~ the eastern market.
Professor Phelps disputes the basis
h Tor this opinion and asks for evidence.
n He then examines the evidence him.
u aelt and declares that the great bodies
~ water In which So per cent of the
Gysters now on the market are grown,
N Are free from dangerous contamina-
ton and . similar proportion Of the
pysterS Of the eastern market may be
\ uafely eaten raw.
With this conflict of expert opinion
eyster eaters have come to the point
where they either abandon oysters
yor eat oysters and abandon hope"
To set at rest the public mind. DR..
Ks Asberg and his scientific assistants
lre making detailed and careful exam
" nation OF the whole question. In line
with Dr.. Alsberg's announced policy,
when this his first declaration on q
IA ~ pure food subject IL made. full
u &onSideration will be given to avery
lAetOr Of safety and non-safety Of eat
M ng the bivalve.
Oysters will be considered with re-
meet TO their past life ana local sur
oundings immediately before being
3Eought to market This means that
I8 oysters from particular section
a series OF beds are bad. they will
~ 20 branded, but the stigma will
~ ~ lifted from the rest OF the oyster
Mmily with IN equally open DECLARE
Non, that oysters brought from other
I Necttous an pure, WhOlesome and
n NutritiOus, IL such II the case.
The, oyster II nutritious, whole
81 gcme and economical food, or II Ia q
positive menace to the health of the
y ommunity, according to the particu-
"a Dr side OF the question which one
happens to reo1." says Professor
xhelp1 In Science Conspectus, the Of
ctal scientific publication of the
Institute of Tech
po1ogy. I'm the daily press, In the
onn2ines and before meetings OF
eoxnod societies, the oyster question
being discussed with an enthusiasm
tAat = not always tempered with
enact knowledge, or with q regard
lcr the finer niceties Of logic.
1t often happens that the innocent
0nlooker suffers more seriously than
40 active combatants. and 1t IL espe-
lilly 20 In this case. The humble
&ooker after knowledge learns that
vntogB are contaminated: that oys-
4ofo are safe; that he must know the
purce Of the oysters he eats; that
Vuteru are good In one month and
~ n another. In despair he either
an4ono oysters, or eats oysters and
3nnAons hope"
Professor Phelps gives q detailed
1eefhc account Of the life OF the
voeor and IT. habits. Ne also re-
- al the cases Of epidemics OF
(fWpooA fever and other diseases
oabae 70 consumption Of oysters,
- declares that much worse case
I'm % made out against water, milk
znA pegAAps some other foods. He
1870 that IN the demonstrated
o1aD oR oystsr epidemics these have,
evoey instance, been traced to con-
- which Are preventable.
xhe a&or0 o; the government
80 noe - toward assuming police
ns2&y.S he sAyA. 'bpt toward set-
~ . gDvorumsnt seal Of approval ss
1ooukaD1mant 70 those who do we'll
Deond at the seal Of condemnation.
lore than any other one man. DR.
~ u responsible for the federal
1p1p food act.
.T4o new regime that seems to be
1optino IA upon q policy that will not
~ Condemn the bad. but commend
- Dood, % that In pure food matters
~ 1qblic viii know both"