The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-06-13
Improper Care of Food in Hot
Weather a Cause,
She Says.

DIG Days.
BY MRS. ANNA b. SCOTT.
Gulmary Expert OF the PhiladeIphis
North American
It Is surprising how many cases OF
ptomatne poisoning occur every sum
mer Most OF the cases, while Sc
we're, do not result fatally but the
after effects endure for a long time
Sometimes ptomaine poisoning is the
i result of ignorance on the part Of
and sometimes 1t is, ignorance of the
proper way to keep food
This Is the time of year when one
should be especially careful. Pto-
names are the product Of decayine
animal tissue, and, since decomposi-
ton Is FASTENED by heat, it follows
that most cases of this poisoning are
found IN the sumner months.
Because p!omaine poison comes
from bacterial decomposition in ami
NAL flesh. 1t follows that fish. game
poultry. meats and milk products are
a possible source of trouble. There
are a few vegetables which can pro
duce the pton1aiues. notably those
high in nitrogen Peas and beans
are in this class
a great deal OF what is called pto-
maine poisoning is really metal pois-
ontng Otherwise excellent food prod
ucts may be made dangerous by im-
proper packing and handling. There
is no dagger whatever from properly
packed meats il they are reasonably
fresh Vegetables that have been
In tins for more than five years are
apt to contain metallic salts in vary
ing quantities.
Empty Opened Cans Promptly,
The greatest danger is when care
less housekeepers open a can OF meat.
fish or vegetables. use part of the
Contents and allow the rest TO re-
main in the exposed can You can
see, readers. that ptomaines may
Quickly develop and at the same time
a metallic poison may be- created.
giving a. double dose Of trouble to the
family.
should ptomaine poisoning occur.
send for physician. meanwhile en-
couragtng vomiting by drinking salt
Prevention is better than cure, and
the best prevention is to avoid buy
ing tainted foods or allowing cooked
foods to become tainted.
There is no food more Wholesome
than fresh fish and, nothing more
dangerous when stale Fish and crabs
are a frequent source Of ptonaine
po1SOn1uS-s rHSt, Q2Sh ~ :" . tSAASA =,
dealer; one who keeps his fish well
iced and who does not sell stale prod
ucts- His icebox. should be used for
fish alone. Next see that the flesh
is firm. that the scales adhere hrm-
E, that the eyd; and gil1s are bright
and that there is no odor- Some pen
sons CAM tell stale fish without
smelling it or touching it
After the fish is selected, have 1t
=
moved and, If for broi1ing or frying,
have 1t split and the backbone taken
out. At home the fish should be
rinsed and wrapped in cheesecloth
or an old napkin, then in piece OF
wrapping paper, and put at the bot
tom OF the iceboX- Be sure 1t IS
well wrapped-there is no odor worse
than fish is an icebox- Persons 11y-
ing near fish market should buy
an hour or so before the meal
Be Careful of Crabs and Chickens
In buying crab meat be sure that
it is fresh and has been kept in a
drained container to keep dry In
the rural regions very little crab meat
or soft crabs are sold, but persons
near the seaboard should be watch
ful OF this food. It should be used
quickly, and it should b a,ru1e never
to eat any left over" crab meat
Next to fish comes poultry. My
experience shows that the chicken
that has been cooked can develop
ptomaine over night have learned
also chat more care must be exercised
in selecting young chickens, especial
" when they have been packed in
ice. When you buy a fowl see that
there is no discoloraIlon at the head
or vent; be sure that the eyes are
bright and the mouth looks fresh.
ana there fs No oSor When the
dealer sees that you are judge he
win not offer you a stale bird. 1t
always pays to buy of a reliable deal
Next, the care of the chicken. Be
sure tits Singed, washed and dr1ed'
then the head and feet removed In
drawing the fowl the work should
abe done carefully The washing
should be done under running wat
ar, and it should not be laid in a
pan Dry the chicken on piece OF
cheesecloth, wrap in dry piece of
cloth and put in bottom of refrgera-
tor until ready to use Do not keep
longer than two days
Be careful with left over chicken
hit is Stewed never Leave it in the
gravy Never allow chicken broth TO
cool with the cover on Cool it
quickly, then put on the cover and
set away A word of warning
chicken broth turns bad quicker than
6utswhen put on the fire there is the
unmistakab1e sour odor and a slight
froth arises Throw 1t away If there
Is the slightest indication it Is bad
when chicken croquettes are used the
mixture should be used at once
Chicken sandwiches should not be
kept over the day they are made.