The Washington herald., 1917-10-30
DR.. WILEY FINDS
ocC0QUAN FOOD
UNFIT FOR USE
Sends Letter to Board of
Charities Asking an
Investigation.

Scathing denunciation over the pre-
vaillng nutrition and sanitary condi-
tons at occoquan which, he declares
Invites disease" is voiced by Dr.
Harvey W. Wiley. of the bureau OF
sanitation and health, in an extended
letter which he yesterday sent DR..
George NJ. Kober, member OF the
Board Of Charities. DR.. Wiley's find
ings are founded on recent food ex-
hibits which the returned Jailed suf-
fragists brought back to the city.
DIR. Kober. when brached on the
likely action of the Board Of Chari-
ties, or others with power In this
connection, would make no statement
last night
Eighteen suffragists, including Alice
Paul, are now held in solitary confine-
ment at the Jail. Five of them are
sentenced to seven months for OBJ
structing traffic.
DIR. wiIey's Letter.
DIR. swiley's letter to DR.. Kober
follows:
I am personally acquainted with
many OF the women who have been
confined at Occoquan and at the
District Jail, and have heard from
their own lips an account of the
nutrition and sanitary conditions
prevailing at both places.
AS / understand 1t, there Is no
purpose in penal seryitude of low
ering the vitality of the prisoners,
or in inviting disease. Yet both of
these conditions prevail both at Oc-
coquan and at the District Jail.
First of all, the food question. The
diet furnished the prisoners at Oc-
coquan especially is of a character
to invite all kinds of infection that
may prevail and to lower the vitali-
ty so that the resistance to disease
is diminished.
have fortunately come into pos
session of samples Of the food ac-
tually given to these women.
have kept a sample of the milk
religiously for over two weeks to
see II 1 could detect the least par
ticle OF fat, and have been unable
to perceive any.
Pea Soup Is Bad.
I understand that a dairy is kept
on the farm at Occoquan, and yet it
is perfectly certain that no whole
milk is served or has ever been ser
we'd to one of the so-called picket
srs." at that Jail.
also have a sample of the pea
soup served. The pea grains are
eoarsely broken. often more than half
Of a pea being in one piece. They
have never been cooked but are in
n perfectly raw state and found to
be inedible by the prisoners. I have
also samples OF the corn bread which
j most unattractive and repellent to
me eye and to the taste.
Not only have they had a struggle
10 get the windows opened slightly,
but also at the time of their morning
neal the sweeping Is done. Tha air
Z their cells is filed with dust, and
Ehey try to cover their coffee and
other food with such articles as they
can find to keep the dust out of their
food Better conditions for promol-
ing tuberculosis could not be found.
I appeal to you as a well known
sanitarian to get the Board of Char
flies to make such rules and regula-
tons a, would secure to prisoners of
all kinds, especially to political pris-
oners, as human as environment as
possible.
also desire to ask that the Board
Of Charities would authorize me to
make inspections of food furnished to
prisoners at Occoquan and at Dis
trict jail, and to have physical and
chemical analysis made without ex-
pense to the board in order to de-
termine more fully the nutritive en-
vironment in which the prisoners
live