The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1916-04-15

fact that, of 1876 persons who had sat
down to a banquet held at Goshen, New
York, on the evening of October 5, 1911,
exactly 100 had become i'll after a few
hours or few days. Seventeen de-
veloped typhoid fever, and eighty-thre
became afflicted with severe intestinal
diseases. Many died.
Federal health inspectors were i'm
mediately assigned to the case, and
most rigid investigation was begun.
Each article Of food and liquid used at
the dinner was examined under the
microscope, and this established the
fact beyond the shadow of doubt that
the oysters eaten at the banquet contained
typhoid bacillus. Step by step the in
spectors traced the oysters to the breed
ing ground, and finally found that they
had been raised" by professionaloyster-
men in Jamaica Bay, Long Island, at the
mouth of sewers.
1t is well-known fact to anyone who
has ever made study of this industry,
that oysters thrive in sewage, and that
many of the "oyster farms are located
in waters contaminated with the filth
from great cities. This is the case, for
instance, at the mouth Of the Delaware
River, below Philadelphia.
The unfortunate part of the investi-
cation in the Goshen case, was that the
Federal authorities had no power to do
anything to interfere in the local affairs
of the city or state It is only when a
crime originates in one state, and crosses
the border into another, that the Federal
government can act
On November 4, last, however, DR..
Payne D. Parsons, chief bacteriologist
of the Bureau Of Chemistry, United
State Department Of Agriculture,
CHANGED to be at Cheese Quake Creek,
New Jersey, when two oyster sloops,
heavily laden, crept in. Dr. Parsons
found that the cargo belonged to an
FISHERMAN, who raised them in Jamaica
Bay, and who afterward shipped them
to the fresh water of Cheese Quake
Creek, to be "foated, bleached, and
bloated." After standing there for a
while they were then transported to an
oyster dealer in New York City, and
from there they could be sold to any
dealer in the United States. In this
way, the oysters crossed the state line
from New York to New Jersey, which
gave the Federal officers their chance to
interfere
The oysters were summarily seized
and samples analysed, with the result
that legal proceedings were at once
started, two of the dealers being placed
under Indictment. The oystermen real
lied that this case was of the utmost
Importance to them and their industry,
and fought the thing with grim deter |
mination, to their CONSERVATION the
government succeeded in establish
ing the fact that the oysters
were filthy and unfit for food and they
realized that this would have a far
reaching effect on their industry. The
highest priced experts were brought on
from various colleges and health depart
ments, and no expense was spared on
either side After ten days of listening
to the evidence, the jury found for the
government that the oysters seized
we're subject to condemnation, under
the Pure Food Act, and criminal in
dictments were found. The Federal |
authorities hope that the breeders will
be convicted and punished under the
| separate criminal Indictment
The United States health authorities |
are now anxious to have the public un-
derstand that oysters, fed and fattened
under conditions of this kind, are
dangerous to health. One writer has
recently said that the attractive and |
palatable" oyster, poised on fork, may
contain concealed death. Another has |
remarked that it remains for the news i
papers and periodicals to perform their
duty and enlighten their readers about |
filthy and dangerous oysters, as ex-
planned by the government officials"