FOOD OF PLANTS. See PLANT FOODS.
a form of poison ing from food, which in times past was thought to be extremely common, but' at the present time is known to occur 'but rarely. One of the most important features in food-poisoning is individual idiosyncrasy. It is well known that certain foods, such as strawberries and toma toes, affect susceptible people uncomfortably, but instances of this are rare, and are often of mental origin. Epidemics of food-poisoning have occurred, as when, for instance, a baker has used a yellow coloring matter in his cake to obviate the necessity of using eggs, which coloring matter was largely made up of lead.
Food-poisoning may be classified under three main types: (1) Poisoning by means of metals; (2) poisoning by means of animal parasites; (3) poisoning by means of plant parasites, bacteria and fungi and allied organ isms. The metals which have been known to cause poisoning in food are particularly arsenic, lead, copper, antimony, tin and zinc. During 1900 there was a widespread epidemic from poison by arsenic, in Manchester, England, and neighboring cities, from the drinking of beer. On investigation it was found that the arseni cal poisoning, which in some cases had proved fatal, was due to'the glucose used in the manu facture of the beer. This glucose had been prepared by a sulphuric acid which had in turn been made from iron pyrites containing large amounts of arsenic. It entered into the glu cose, and thus became an ingredient of the beer. This epidemic was extremely severe, thousands of cases of arsenical poisomng having been ob served. Lead-poisoning very frequently fol lows the use of water which has been conveyed through new pipes. It may also result from the use of leaden coloring matters used in bread, biscuit; cake, etc. Zinc and topper poi soning have resulted from the use of canned vegetables, copper frequently being used to im part a godd color to the vegetable.
Food-poisoning resulting from animal para sites or from animal poisons are of extreme in terest. Trichinosis from the flesh of hogs, which has been imported in pork and potk sausages, while rare in this country, is common among those people who habitually eat their sausages without thorough cooking. A form of poison results from the eating of mussels which have developed the ptomaine'mytilotoxine, and similar forms of poisoning from decom position products in meat have been observed.
A special form of meat-poisoning, botulism (q.v.), is extremely common in certain coun tries. It seems to be due to the development of the Bacillus botulinus. This form of poi soning has been observed in those who have eaten ham. The symptoms are late in onset; from 24 to 36 hours after eating gastric pains with frequent vomiting occur; and constipation is at first obstinate. Practically all the cases of botulism have shown' eye-symptoms. There is disturbance of vision, the eyes become fogged, the lids droop, people see double, and there is dilatation of the pupils, while burning thirst and constriction of the throat are frequent signs. Extreme muscular weakness with per haps loss of ability to speak,- or 'of power to empty the bladder, may. develop, Other forms of food-poisoning have been described resulting •frorn, eating, sausag,es and other meats which were diseaseiA of the' time of killing, or which:have beecene,tainted if ter ward, and:a number of .poisonops bacteria hai,e been isolated. Bacillar enteritidlis, Bacillus morbificans, Bacillus breslaviensis, Bacillus Ftiedebergensis, have been some of the forms that have been obtained in poisonous meat. Fish-poisons are not unknown, and in Russia , and Switzerland and the West Indies a num ber of cases have been described as resulting from fish-poisoning. A peculiar type of poison ing from milk, ice-cream, cream-puffs, frozen custards and cheeses is known. This poison seems to be due to the presence of a toxic sub stance which has been named by Vaughan of Ann Arbor, Mich., as tyrotoxicon.
The most important general poisons from vegetable foods are those due- to eating the poi sonous mushrooms, and the grains affected by ergot and allied species. Thus ergotism as found in Russia, Spain, Italy and its close ally pellagra are types of this form of food-poison ing. A well-known disease in eastern Japan and neighboring parts of Asia termed beriberi (q.v.), is thought- to be due to poisonous rice.
See FUNGI; MUSHROOM ; PTOMAINES ; TOXI COLOGY.
Through the vigilance of local boards of health, cases of ice-cream poisoning and sau sage poisoning are now rare in the United States. Accidents, however, happen through prepared foods not being kept cold enough to prevent a putrefaction which cannot be noticed by any change of taste or odor.