The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-07-31
POISON GERMS
lURk NEAR IN
HOT WEATHER
Exposed Food Is Breeding Place
for Deadly Ptomsine

open may produce it. or il NAV occo.
sion proteid toxin almost as deodI,,
ana with train of undesirable symn-
toms. The blown" can of milk ~,
cheese kept under insanitary condi-
tons, the meat or soup left over nigb,
in defective granite pan or tin NOT
all these are favorite Fairgrounds Of
the ptomaine.
1t is a curious fact about the pto-
maine that ii occurs when il il loost
expected. Meat may be offensive from
overripeness and yet not contain a
single ptomaine. 1t may be quite fresh
and have a large supply. So with
milk
knowledge of the ptomaine is chief
~ theory, even among Psychologists. II
is true, they do know certain things
about the poison, but such knowledge
as they have is chiefly concerned with
the symptoms of the afflicted patient.
and it is usually obtained by means of
| a post mortem.
For the ptomaine doesn't graduate
into the ptomaine class until he is
| safely ensconced i'm the human stom-
| ach. or some other stomach, where
| he is evolved from the chemical ac-
| ton OF micro organism upon proteid
| material-meat, milk, cheese. etc.
Symptoms Like Those of Collie.
THE symptoms of ptomaines are
very much like those of ordinary col
ic," said well-known Kansas City
doctor. when | began practicing 30
years ago we called all that sort of
thing cholera morbus or collie, and the
patient usually got well. Now and
then we would lose one. and am in
clined to believe that the occasional
deaths were due to ptomaines.
"Ptomaines and the other purely
chemical conditions are so quick i'm
their action. that the attending physi-
clan hasn't much time for reflection
or the consultation of authorities.
Whatever is done must be done speed
lily. and for reason il is sometimes best
To take ptomaines for granted when
such "A condition is merely suspected
But the doctor who is constantly
having cases of ptomaines Is first
cousin to the one who operated for
appendicitis on half his patients ten
years ago. Occasionally there are
clearly defined cases of ptomaine poi
soning in Kansas City. one such re-
call was in one of the finest homes i'm
one of the best parts of town. 1t was
due to the milk which the servant
had permitted to stand on the porch
until fermentation had taken place
and the deadly organism was intro
duced.
Meat Poisons Three Families.
Another notable case was i'm meat.
We traced it back to a certain gro
Gerry store and found that persons in
three different families had been i'll
that day from meat purchased at the
same store. But, curiously enough, it
seemed to have been in the three
homes that the ptomaine were germ
mated. 1t may have been that the
meat was peculiarly susceptible and
that the insanitary conditions under
which it was allowed to stand at the
three houses created the organism.
ut is known positively that pto-
maines are products OF the early
stages, rather than the advanced
stages of food decomposition. OF
course, meat or fish that is much
tainted is not very dangerous because
nobody will eat it,
Some OF the ptomaines can be de-
stroyed by heat. but there are some
hat cannot be so destroyed. Cold re-
ards their growth. and they do not
lourish In a well-kept, clean and thor
Iughly iced refrigerator Too much
are cannot be taken at this time or
he year to prevent these deadly con-
iitions and also the meat and vege-
able toxins that are much more COM
non in warm weather than are the
God products is everything. They pass
through so many hands. are packed,
epacked, displayed, sorted, displayed
gain. all without much regard for
he kind of cleanliness that will pre-
ent infection, that it is wonder
here are not more cases of ptomaines
nd of toxic poisoning-the collie ana
holera morbus of long ago.
First Case Recorded in 1884.
"The painful symptoms of ptomaine
poisoning manifest themselves very
everal hours elapse before they APP
ear.
"The first cases of ptomaines on
ecord occurred I'm 1884, when more
han 300 persons were made i'll by eat
lg chees made in single dairy. Milk
nd milk products have as large
ecord Of guilt as meat, much larger
IAN either mutton or lamb, for these
Ieats have never been implicated as
luses OF meat poisoning.
There may be half dozen cases
ptomaines in Kansas City this sum-
Ter. There may be more. II house
ives and handlers of foods are very
,reless. but there doubtless will be n
'eat many cases OF toxic poisoning.
hich are really the fashionable pto-
aine by common consent. The sau-
lge and the fish can, the exposed
ilk bottle and the piece of meat that
kept too long-all these are capable
producing the chemical demonstra-
on that is known as the ptomaine."
Kansas City Star.