The Poison Squad By Harvey Wiley (The American Scientists Who Intentionally Ate Poison)
Hey guys, today I learned something new so I’m sharing it with y’all.
Did you know that in the early 1900s, a group of U.S. government scientists led by Harvey Wiley set out to prove that Americans were being harmed by chemicals in food?
They started a private dinner club, in which they only ate poisonous food. They documented their illnesses in order to convince Congress to pass food safety laws.
Wiley organized volunteers for human trials to test the effects of chemical food preservatives. They were called "The Poison Squad". For free food, and five dollars a month, 12 healthy young men became test subjects.
The goal of the Poison Squad was simple: they were tasked with trying some of the most commonly used food additives in order to determine their effects. During each of the poison squads trials, the members would eat steadily increasing amounts of each additive, carefully tracking the impact that it had on their bodies.
The way he decided to do this was to begin feeding volunteers borax, salicylic acid, sulfuric acid, sodium benzoate, and formaldehyde.
The first subjects gathered at a "sanitary table" in the basement for the experiment, were weighed, had their pulse and temperature taken, and were given a meal rich in borax, a common ingredient in modern laundry detergents.
The troops did not know what foods contained poisons, nor what poisons they were eating. Initially, borax was added to butter, but soon they stopped using it. The researchers then mixed it with milk, meat, and coffee, and again the subjects avoided these products - no wonder, considering it must have tasted a bit like borax.
You may wonder why only men were allowed to participate in poison squads. Chivalry? Is it an outdated idea that women should not be intentionally poisoned? Well, probably not. Wiley was a miso.gynist, doubting the abilities of women's brains and calling them savages. A savage who clearly could not stand the task of a noble man to administer a large dose of poison, and see if it would cause diarrhea. Lol!
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They started a private dinner club, in which they only ate poisonous food. They documented their illnesses in order to convince Congress to pass food safety laws.
Wiley organized volunteers for human trials to test the effects of chemical food preservatives. They were called "The Poison Squad". For free food, and five dollars a month, 12 healthy young men became test subjects.
The goal of the Poison Squad was simple: they were tasked with trying some of the most commonly used food additives in order to determine their effects. During each of the poison squads trials, the members would eat steadily increasing amounts of each additive, carefully tracking the impact that it had on their bodies.
The way he decided to do this was to begin feeding volunteers borax, salicylic acid, sulfuric acid, sodium benzoate, and formaldehyde.
The first subjects gathered at a "sanitary table" in the basement for the experiment, were weighed, had their pulse and temperature taken, and were given a meal rich in borax, a common ingredient in modern laundry detergents.
The troops did not know what foods contained poisons, nor what poisons they were eating. Initially, borax was added to butter, but soon they stopped using it. The researchers then mixed it with milk, meat, and coffee, and again the subjects avoided these products - no wonder, considering it must have tasted a bit like borax.
Ultimately, they came to the conclusion that when borax is taken in capsules mid-meal, it is absorbed into the food in the stomach. It must have felt strange to celebrate the fact that he had discovered the best way to poison volunteers for someone whose primary concern was people's health, but this was a big step forward for an experiment that lasted five years.
This experiment eventually led to the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, which regulatepreservatives proven safe for human consumption. It has been determined that it can be added to food aslong as it is not used to mask the use of unsafe ingredients.
This experiment eventually led to the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, which regulatepreservatives proven safe for human consumption. It has been determined that it can be added to food aslong as it is not used to mask the use of unsafe ingredients.
What are your thoughts on this? Xo, Moxie!
Read my last post How To Find The Right Partner In 2023
I learn a lot from your posts but this one is a discovery
ReplyDeleteSo many of us don’t know history. I personally appreciate you taking your time to share this knowledge moxie
ReplyDeleteThese ones no serious but them try 😂
ReplyDeleteMisogyny has been existing yet they hate feminists
ReplyDeleteBe like I don see record to break for Nigeria. Guinness here I come
ReplyDeleteJust five dollars? * smirks in disbelief *
ReplyDelete