1919 — Late Aug-Oct 18, Botulism, canned Cal. Olives, Canton OH/7 Detroit MI/5-7 Java MT/5-17-19

–19  Flynn, Dan. “Canned Ripe California Olives Spread Botulism in 1919.” 3-19-2012.

–7  Michigan

–5  Montana

–7  Ohio (Canton)

–17  Rosenau. “Food Poisoning.” Preventive Medicine and Hygiene (4th edition). 1921, p. 707.

–15  Flynn, Dan. “Deadliest U.S. Foodborne Illness Outbreaks.” Food Safety News, 11-8-2011.

 

Canton, Ohio                                                 (   7)

–7  Armstrong. “Botulism from Eating Canned Ripe Olives.” Chicago Med. Rec., 42/2, 1920, 55.

  1. ~Aug 26 54 hours after eating               R. J.          ate 5 or 6 olives
  2. ~Aug 26 5 hours after eating                        Mrs. I.W.G.    3 olives
  3. ~Aug 26 5 hours after eating                        C. C. CW        4 or 5 olives
  4. ~Aug 26 69 hours after eating               J.C.S.        4 or 5 olives
  5. ~Aug 27 75 hours after eating               McA.           2 olives
  6. ~Aug 27 5 hours after eating                        Mrs. J.C.S.      1 olive
  7. ~Aug 31 5 hours after eating          Mrs. W. F. S.  half an olive.

–7  Flynn, Dan. “Canned Ripe California Olives Spread Botulism in 1919.” 3-19-2012.

–7  Rosenau. “Food Poisoning.” Preventive Medicine and Hygiene (4th edition). 1921, p. 707.

 

Grosse Pointe, Detroit suburb, Michigan   (5-7)

–7  Flynn, Dan. “Canned Ripe California Olives Spread Botulism in 1919.” 3-19-2012.

–5  Rosenau. “Food Poisoning.” Preventive Medicine and Hygiene. “Food Poisoning,” p. 707.

–5  Armstrong. “Botulism from Eating Canned Ripe Olives.” Chicago Med. Rec., 42/2, 1920, 55.

 

Java, Montana                                               (   5)

–5  Flynn, Dan. “Canned Ripe California Olives Spread Botulism in 1919.” 3-19-2012.

–5  Rosenau. “Food Poisoning.” Preventive Medicine and Hygiene (4th edition). 1921, p. 707.

 

Narrative Information

 

Armstrong, Story and Scott: “….In America…botulism has most often been associated with the use of home-canned fruits and vegetables….The outbreak described in this article was due to eating California packed fruit…in was caused by commercial canned goods. This is especially disturbing, as one can hardly fail to appreciate the possibility of many jars being infected at the same pack, and of the organism being sent broadcast over the country with its attending hazards. It would appear, moreover, that olives are especially dangerous, since they are usually served without cooking, a process which destroys the toxin of Bacillus botulinus.

 

“Canned pears, string beans, white beans, asparagus, peas, corn, apricots, spinach, artichokes and peaches have been known to either produce cases of botulism or to have permitted the growth of Bacillus botulinus and toxin development experimentally.

 

Study of Outbreak from Eating Ripe Olives

 

“The outbreak of poisoning here considered developed in a group of people who were in attendance at a banquet held on the evening of August 23, 1919, at a country club near Canton, Ohio. There were present at this banquet about 200 people from Canton and the surrounding towns.

 

“Following the dinner 14 cases of poisoning occurred — 11 among guests and 3 among the employes at the club. Five guests and 2 employes died. The guests who became ill were all members of a party given by Mrs. I. W. G. of Sebring, Ohio, and had been served at a separate table which shall hereafter be designated as the Sebring table. The two waiters who attended this table and the chef were also affected….

 

“The symptoms of those affected were so similar as to point to a common cause, and since those affected had had no other meetings, food or drinks in common, and since no other foods were served, it would seem that the toxic substance was something in the above-mentioned menu and something restricted to the Sebring table.

 

The Epidemiological Investigation

 

“The investigation was begun on August 29, seven days after the banquet, and after 6 of the cases had terminated fatally….

 

“Some 15 people from various parties, other than the party at the Sebring table, were interviewed, and the bill of fare as served at their various tables was found to be identical with that served at the Sebring table, excepting that green olives, celery and pickles were served in place of the ripe olives, candy and nuts, which were furnished especially by Mrs. I. W. G. for her guests. No illness occurred among the banqueters from the other tables….

 

“Ripe olives. — Ripe olives were also furnished especially for the guests of the Sebring table. During the course of the dinner various diners who tasted the olives observed something peculiar in their taste, odor, or consistency, all of which qualities received more or less comment during and following the dinner. Various members of the party in describing the olive used such expressions as ‘smelled like limburger,’ ‘bit the tongue,’ ‘seemed to pucker the mouth,’ ‘stuck to the tongue,’ ‘not fit to eat,’ ‘soft,’ etc. When certain of the diners developed symptoms, the suspicion by various members of the party that the olives might be the cause prompted them to refresh their memories as to whether or not they had eaten of them.

 

“Of the 14 persons who were ill, all ate olives. Three others who tasted of them used the expressions ‘but bit into one,’ ‘took a small bit,’ ‘swallowed not over a third or a half.’ None of these 3 showed any symptoms which could be definitely identified as similar to those of the above-mentioned 14 definite cases. One, however, states that she felt badly on the day following the banquet, and had symptoms of an indefinite gastrointestinal attack to which she is subject….

 

“When the dead are considered it is found in a general way that those died first who ate the most olives. Among those who were ill but recovered those who suffered the severest attacks ate more olives than those who were less severely attacked. Those who ate olives and were not definitely affected ate the least of all…The average number of olives eaten by those who died is between 2.5 and 3.5; by those definitely ill but who recovered, 1; by those unaffected, perhaps one-third.

 

“Suspicion is further cast upon the olives by the fact that, although they were in a vacuum-sealed glass jar, something had occurred to destroy the vacuum in the jar; for, in opening it, the lid is said to have come off easily without having been punctured and without the use of instruments. The lid was lost before it was known that any interest might be attached to it. The recovered glass jar was not cracked or defective in any way.

 

“The waiter who received the jar from I. W. G. opened in immediately and placed the olives in three table dishes. The olives placed in two of these he washed under the tap and drained through his fingers, while the olives in the third dish were unwashed. This may possibly aid in explaining the fact that one person, for instance, died from eating one-half an olive, while another recovered after eating two olives. Certainly the washing would remove some poison. Furthermore, it may be that a firm olive with unbroken skin would contain less toxic material than a riper one or one with a broken skin….

 

“A bottle of olives of the same size and brand as those used at the dinner of August 23 was found to contain 43 olives. Then number said to have been eaten plus the 6 olives recovered amounts to from 37 to 40. It is probable, therefore, that some ate more than our information would indicate….

 

“Among the waiters at the club there is a custom of collecting the delicacies after the diners have finished, and the two waiters poisoned did so collect the left-over olives and ate some to them. Later, waiter C. O. carried the olives to the chef with the request that he ‘Try one of these damn things, they don’t taste right to me.’ The chief ate two and later died.” (Armstrong, et al. “Botulism From Eating Canned Ripe Olives.” Chicago Medical Recorder, Vol. 42. No. 2, Feb, 1920, pp. 54-75.)

 

Flynn (2011): “ 1919, California. Fifteen died of botulism after eating olives packed in glass jars. This outbreak led to changes in canning methods to prevent botulism.” (Flynn, Dan. “Deadliest U.S. Foodborne Illness Outbreaks.” Food Safety News, 11-8-2011.)

 

Flynn (2012): “In 1919, canned ripe olives spread an outbreak of deadly Botulism to three states. Nineteen people died, almost half the deaths ever caused by food products commercially canned in California — all killed in one outbreak. The incident remains one of the 10 deadliest outbreaks of foodborne illness in U.S. history….

 

“…the investigation found the source of the contaminated olives to be the Ehmann Olive Company, formed in 1898 by Mrs. Freda Ehmann….By 1900, Ehmann Olive Company was running 90 vats at a large processing plant in Oroville, CA….

 

“USDA’s Bureau of Chemistry did a study of Ehmann’s glass and metal containers in 1920, finding both could look normal but still contain pathogenic organisms, including Clostridium botulinus.

 

“California canned foods have been the source of about 40 deaths in other states, according to the California Department of Public Health.  The California State Board of Health responded to the 1919 outbreak with emergency regulation of olive production on Aug. 7, 1920, requiring sanitation through the processing facility and mandating a thermal process. Heat treatment for olives after cans or jars are sealed to sterilize contents completely was required. Immersion in water at 240 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes was the rule.

 

“California canned olives continued to poison people in some scattered cases. The emergency regulations under the California Pure Foods Act and limited staff to enforce them were not enough.

 

“California responded with the Cannery Inspection Act of 1925.  Both the State Board of Health and the National Canners’ Association supported it, which by then even favored federal inspection….” (Flynn, Dan. “Canned Ripe California Olives Spread Botulism in 1919.” Food Safety News, 3-19-2012.)

 

Jennings, et al. abstract: “The outbreak of Bacillus botulinus poisoning reported in this paper occurred at Grosse Pointe, a residential suburb of Detroit. The source of the toxin was a glass jar of ripe olives. The food was later analyzed by Dr. Herbert W. Emerson of the Hygienic Laboratory of the University of Michigan, Dr. Plinn F. Morse of Harper Hospital, and the Detroit Board of Health. Bacillus botulinus was found by each of these investigators, and the fluid from the olives was demonstrated to be lethal for guinea-pigs in doses of 0.01 c.c.

 

“The outbreak. The olives were first served at a formal dinner, Oct. 18, 1919, at the residence of Mr. M. W. S., and there were present the host, hostess and six guests. One of the guests noticed that the olives were soft and remarked that they had a peculiar odor. They were, however, eaten by four of the diners and….” [end of accessible preview.]

 

Medical Science Abstracts and Reviews (Vol. 3): “….C. G. and A. F. Jennings and Haas describe an outbreak of botulism in a Detroit suburb, the source of the toxin being a glass jar of ripe olives. Of eight persons who ate the olives five died, one escaped, and two were slightly affected….” (p. 411)

 

Source

 

Armstrong, Chas (Assistant Surgeon U.S. Public Health Service), R. V. Story, and Ernest Scott. “Botulism From Eating Canned Ripe Olives.” Chicago Medical Recorder, Vol. 42. No. 2, Feb, 1920, pp. 54-75. Accessed 4-10-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=eUxYAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Flynn, Dan. “Canned Ripe California Olives Spread Botulism in 1919.” Food Safety News, 3-19-2012. Accessed 4-9-2018 at: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/03/canned-ripe-california-olives-spread-botulism-in-1919/#.WswW7Zch2nI

 

Flynn, Dan. “Deadliest U.S. Foodborne Illness Outbreaks.” Food Safety News, 11-8-2011. Accessed 4-9-2018 at: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/a-top-10-list-of-deadliest-foodborne-illness-outbreaks/#.WsuuS5ch2nI

 

Jennings, Charles G., Ernest W. Haass, and Alpheus F. Jennings (all MD’s). “An Outbreak of Botulism, Report of Cases.” Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 74, No. 2, 1-101920, pp. 77-80. Accessed 4-10-2018 at:  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/223278?redirect=true

 

Medical Science Abstracts & Reviews (Vol. III, October 1920-March 1921). London, Edinburgh, NY, Toronto, etc.: Published for the Medial Research Council by Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press, 1921. Google preview accessed 4-10-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=lhagAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Rosenau, Milton J. Preventive Medicine and Hygiene (4th edition). New York and London: D. Appleton and Co., 1921. Accessed 4-10-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=Bq9GAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false