The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-11-01

times as deadly as pruSSic acid, al
though not so quick In it's operation,
is indicated by experiments at Har-
ward Medical school, in which it has
been found that very few molecules
of the poison. and perhaps a single
molecule may suffice to kill a mouse.
Two groups of people, n 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 a small Jar Of potted food
tainted with bOtulism killed eight per-
sons who ate of it. Free Oxygen kills
the germ.
The poison occurs very rarely, but
when it does, several persons usually
eat it and are killed, so hat killings
by this poison frequently attract wide
attention. Its total mortality In a
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 ~Infantile Paralysis.
-Four people living in Staten Island
were killed by botulism a little more
than a year ago, when they ate faint
ed sea food of some kind" said DR..
Charles Norris, chief medical exam
iner. "A year before that, four OF
five people were killed in the Bronx
by botulism poisoning. The symptoms
usually take IS 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 1t Is difficult to use, because the
symptoms do not develop until the
poison has progressed. The bacillus
is not pathogenic; hat is, 1t 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 a living creature, the destruc-
ton Of one cell being sufficient to
cause death. The experimenters have
expressed u~nwillingness to believe
their WI results, though apparently
verified by the results on many mice.
Previously 1t had been reported that
one-twentieth Of q drop of the poison
caused death. A single molecule is
as small compared to a drop as a drop
Is compared to the water of New York
harbor. If n molecule has the pow
err attributed to it, it would mean that
if a gallon Of the poison were uni
formly mixed In the waters of the
ocean, a few drops Of water taken
from any part Of the ocean and In
jected into the house might kill 1t.
The germ hat produces the poison
was discovered by a Belgian investi-
gator, Van Emengem, In 1896.
III Die in % Years.
DIR. M. !. Rosenau of Harvard, in a
recent article On botulism said:
"The high mortality, the distressing
and the relation to foo
uidiiidtiN hNNo value, anu LO
disease has recently caused concern
and alarm out of all proportion to It's
prevalence. A disease which during
it's period Of twenty-five years has
made only about $50 persons Ill and
caused the death Of Ill among ap-
proximately 100000, 900 of people can
be compared in magnitude to tu-
horo,,1nc;c md afhor n1h1in hoo1fh |
problems"
Sausages formerly were supposed to
)e the chief cause of botulism. In the
cases Of the last few years other foods
been involved.
While the victims frequently show
he symptoms in from 16 to 18 hours,
hey do not always develop before 36
Weakness, dizziness, headache
and nausea first make their appear
lnce. There is difficulty of vision. Pa
tents sometimes see double. The eye
Ids often droop, and control over them
s lost, so that the sufferer can see
My by lifting them with his fingers.
These effects flow from the attack Of
he poison on a particular brain CEN
err. Other brain centers become In
,olved. Swallowing becomes difficult.
The muscles controlling the voice be-
paralyzed. The paralysis spreads
o the lips, tongue and respiration,
nd the victim gasps for breath. In
end paralysis Of the respiration
nd the heart becomes complete and
here Is death.
Although deaths have been reported
1ore frequently from botulism lately,
t is not believed that the disease u
n the Increase. Deaths Of the same
ind have occurred In the past, but
ave been dismissed under the gen.
raj name Of food poisoning Cases are
pit to be %infrsQuent because Gamers
nd preservers Of food have been thor
ughly informed In methods of treat
ag foods, so that danger Of botulism