Norwich bulletin., 1915-08-09
PROF. RETTeER's
FORMAL REPORT

PROF. RETTGER's
FORMAL REPORT
Finds No Poison of Any Kind I'm
Materials Used by RestaurantePro-
prietor.
On July 26. DR.. C. F. Congdon made
a preliminary report of his investd-
CATION of the illess nsupposed to
have bee causned by eating food at
Gavitt's restaurant in Pawcatuck
round or about July 4.
That report included the results of
the chemical analysis made at the
Connecticut Experiment Station at
New Haven by Professors Street and
Morrison of certain samples OF food
taken from the restaurant as well as
one of the suspected pies.
DR.. Jenkins, Director Of the Expert
ment Station detailed Professor Rett-
ger of Yale University to conduct q
archaeological examination to see If
any bacterial or ptomaine poison could
be found.
At this date it is proven that the
restaurant was at all times kept clean
and sanitary; pure foods were used;
so far eitnher the chemists nor the
report of Professor Rettger find any
poison of any kind in the materials
used nor in the pie crust or cooked
pie. Furthermore q large number or
people ate the same pies and were not
sick, and many others were sick in
like manner who ate nothing at the
restaurant.
We have the evidence Of one per-
son whose illness was heralded far
and near in the newspapers as An
other Victim of Pie Poisoning, the
n liant hain1r Ifnahla fn walk me
hospital diagnosis as given to me by
one of the hospital staff is rheumatism,
the result of profession as specifics
Needless to say that particular case
never will be again heard from.
Following is Professor Rettger's for
NAL report.
Storrs Agricultural Experiment Sta
Storrs, Conn, Aug. 6, 1915.
DR.. c. F. Congdon,
Stonington Health Officer,
Mystic, Conn.
My dear DR., Condgon:-
heareby submit report of my BAG
THEOLOGICAL investigation of the recent
so-caIed food poisoning epidemic in
and about Westerly, r. L
AS an authorized representative Of
the Connecticut Agricultural Exper-
iment Station Of New Haven. l Wis
tied Westerly and nearby towns on
July Fl. with the hope of botaining
material for archaeological investi-
cation. After some conversation with
yourself and DR.. Little of Stonington
it was most apparent that little of
the material suspected of conveying
the poison or ptomaine could be OBJ
tanned. We did, however, procure
some Of the compound" or shorten
ing which Mr.. Gavitt told us had been
used in the pies. Mr.. Gavitt also Of
fered to give US some of the sugar
and flour which had been used but
which declined, as an examination of
them did not seem promising.
While conversing with DR.. Scanlon
he informed me that a fourth death
from the poisoning had occurred, and
that a post mortem examination would
be held that afternoon in Ashaway.
Dr. Scanlon obtained permission for
me to be present.
At this autopsy I obtained as spec
linens for further examination portions
Of the lung liver, kidney, spleen and
small intestine. These specimens, held
in jars which were packed in broken
ice, were at once taken to the labor
atory at Storrs. by automobile. On
arrival there they were subjected to
meteorological investigation.
Both aerobic and anaerobic culture
tests were made with varying amounts
of the blood of the different organs,
and Of the contents of the intestine.
A second series of tests were con-
Quoted on the following day. A special
search was made for organisms be-
longing to the group Of food poisoning
bacteria. The blood of the lung and
spleen were found to be sterile. From
the other organs only contamina-
ton forms of bacteria were obtained;
no bacteria of the food poisoning type
were discovered, nor any other that
could have played any role in the
epidemic.
Blood from the kidney and spleen,
when fed to adult rabbits, in two
and four cubic centimeter quantities,
failed to visibly affect the rabbits. At
the end of two weeks the rabbits
still appear as well and active as
ever.
The compound" or shortening was
tested in the same manner as the or
gans. The results were not only neg
alive, in so far as the presence of the
cerned, but the compound" was ap-
parently free from bacteria excepting
an occasional spore-producing organ
ism, undoubtedly of the hay bacillus
group, which proves to be harmless
when fed in large numbers to a
the compound is melted completely,
the liQuif1ed fat appearing perfectly
clear. No bacteria could be observed
on microscopic examination.
In summing up the results of my
investigation I wish to state briefly
that no organism Of any significance
or bearing in any way on the out
break of the so-called poisoning
epidemic" has been found. This is no
proof however, that no bacteria which
may have been responsible for the dis
ease were present, at least in the
organs examined. Present day BAG
THEOLOGICAL methods are still INSULT
GENTLY developed to enable the inves-
tigator to pronounce the absence of
bacteria when negative results are OBJ
tanned.
Very sincerely yours,
xxi LEO F. RETTGER.
Steel Girders In Place.
The big steel Orders for the Lords
Point bridge over the tracks of the
New York New Haven and Hartford