The Hope pioneer., 1922-12-14
BOTuL|SM MOST
DEADLY POISON
Million Times Worse Than Prus.
sic Acid, Say Experts.
ONLY III DIE IN y YEARS
Symptoms Usually Take About "a
Hours to Develop and Bear Some
Resemblance to lnfantile Paralysis
Death Follows In Four or Five
Days- Better Methods Of CANNING
Reduce Danoer-ResuIts Of Expert
ments Announced.


Reduce Danoer-ResuIts Of Experi-
ments Announced.
That the poison produced by the
bacillus Of botulism is about a million
times as deadly as prussic acid, al
though not SO quick in its operation,
is indicated by experiments ut Har-
ward Medical school, in which it has
been found that very few molecules
OF the poison, and perhaps single
molecule may suffice to kill mouse.
Two groups of people, one in the
Bronx and one on Staten Island, have
been killed in New York city in the
last two years by this deadliest of
poisons. and cases have been report
ed from time to time throughout the
country. The most striking recent
case occurred at Loeb Maree, in Scot
land, where small jar of potted food
tainted with botulism killed eight per-
sons who ate of 1t. Free oxygen kills
the germ.
The poison occurs very rarely, but
when it does, several persons usually
eat 1t and are killed, so that killings
by this poison frequently attract wide
attention. Its total mortality in
year is small. The proper heating of
food after it is canned kills the germ.
If the can does develop the bacillus of
botulism, the poison loses much Of its
deadliness If the food is thoroughly
cooked before it is eaten.
Like lnfantiIe Paralysis.
-Four people living In Staten Island
were killed by botulism a little more
than a year ago, when they ate taint-
ed sea food of some kind" said DR..
Charles Norris, chief medical exam
iner. IA year before that, four or
five people were killed in the Bronx
by botulism poisoning. The symptoms
usually take 1s hours to develop, and
bear some resemblance to infantile
paralysis. There is a paralysis of
facial muscles in both diseases. Death
follows usually in four or FIVE days.
l understand that an anti-toxin against
botulism has been developed in Ohio,
but it Is difficult to use, because the
symptoms do not develop until the
poison has progressed. The bacillus
is not pathogenic; that is, it does not
grow in the human system"
The Harvard experiments indicate
that a single molecule may attack and
destroy small groups of cells in the
body of living creature, the destruc-
tlon OF one cell being sufficient to
cause death. The experimenters have
expressed unwillingness to believe
their own results, though apparently
verified by the results on many mice.
Previously it had been reported that
one-twentieth of drop of the poison
caused death. A single molecule is
as small compared to drop as drop
Is compared to the water of New York
harbor. If one molecule has the pow
er attributed to it, it would mean that
if gallon Of the poison were uni
formly mixed in the waters Of the
ocean, few drops Of water taken
from any part of the ocean and in.
jected into the mouse might kill it.
The germ that produces the poison
was discovered by u Belgian investi-
gator, Van Emengem. in 1896.
III Die in % Years.
DR.. NJ. j. Rosenau of Harvard, In q
recent article on botulism said:
1.-THE high mortality, the distressing
symptoms and the relation to food
have dramatic news vclue, and the
disease has recently caused concern
and alarm out of all proportion to its
prevalence. A disease which during
Its period of twenty-five years has
made only about $50 persons i'll and
caused the death of Ill among ap-
proximately 100,OO0,OO0 of people can.
not be compared in magnitude to tn.
berculosis and other public health
problems"
Sausages formerly were supposed to
be the chief cause of botulism. In the
cases Of the last few years other foods
have been involved.
While the victims frequently show
the symptoms in from 16 to 18 hours
they do not always develop before SO
hours. Weakness, dizziness. headache
and nausea first make their appear.
ance. There is difficulty Of vision. Pa
tients sometimes see double. The eye
lids often droop, and control over them
is lost, so that the sufferer car see
only by lifting them with his fingers.
These effects flow from the attack Of
the poison on particular brain CEN
ter. Other brain centers become in
volved. Swallowing becomes difficult.
The muscles controlling the voice be-
come paralyzed. The paralysis spreads
to the lips, tongue and respiration,
and the victim gasps for breath. In
the end paralysis of the respiration
and the heart becomes complete and
there is death.
Although deaths have been reported
more frequently from botulism lately.
it is not believed that the disease Is
on the increase. Deaths of the same
kind have occurred in the past, but
have been dismissed under the gen.
eral name of food poisoning. Cases are