Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 8 May 1944 — Page 8

" WASHINGTON, May 8-—More than & score of persons paid with their lives In 1943 and 1944 for mistakes made in home canning, and untold quantities of precious food were wasted by spoilage due to the same mistakes or use of im-

proper canning meéthods. Even with many commercially

preservation of surplus foods must continue or processed vegetables may have to be rationed again. The great danger from improper canning methods is botulism. This usually fatal food poisoning is caused by the toxin produced by the botulinus bacillus. This toxin is the most powerful poison known.

15 Outbreaks in 1943

In 1943 there were 15 outbreaks of botulinus poisoning in the United States, with 23 cases and 19 deaths, which is below the average. So far in 1944 there have been eight outbreaks, with 14 cases and nine deaths, Dr. Karl F. Meyer, University of California authority on the

uted to inability of the men to free themselves from the parachute

men wore no Mae West life jackets, as it had not been anticipated that men on this maneuver would land near water. All of the men carried full combat equipment, but in spite of this added burden, 24 of the 32 men did free themselves and swim to safety. * Wear Two Chutes A further point made in connection with this particular case is that all U. S. paratroopers wear two parachutes, to provide a feeling of greater security to the paratroopers and to strengthen their morale. U. S. paratroopers are the only forces given this double protection, wearing one ‘chute on the chest and one on the back,

subject, informs me. These deaths have been ‘traced to | string beans, -beets, corn, asparagus and carrots, all home-canned by the water bath method instead of the pressure cooker and not boiled before serving. The old habit of merely tasting apparently spoiled food is held responsible for some of the deaths. | Since 1899 to April, 1944, there have been 403 outbreaks and single botulinus poisoning, involving 1103 persons, Dr. Meyer reports. The! number of deaths was 718, which means that 65 out of every 100 who were poisoned died. Factorycanned foods have not, with one possible exception, caused any outbreaks of this deadly poisoning in the United States since 1925,

Lives in the Soil

If one fails to open, or if the jumper loses confidence, he can pull the ring to open the other; and in most paratroop maneuvers it can be observed that some of the men ride down with both parachutes open. An important point overlooked in most of the discussions on this subject is that while wearing the two

Lt. Col. E. V. Stewart (right) and Maj. R. C. Alverson, chief and assistant chief of the army air forces materiel command parachute unit, are shown demonstrating the British quick-release harness (right) and the standard American three-point release. All the straps holding. Col. Stewart can be released simultaneously by a quarter turn of the almost-circular metal device over his chest.

‘chutes, it is impossible to use the single-release harness. Not only the army, but navy and marine corps air services adopted the three-point release as standard in 1936.

WARTIME LIVING—

The botulinus bacillus lives in the| soil, from which it gets into vegetables. The airless interior of sealed cans or glass jars offers ideal conditions for it to multiply and produce its poison. It apparently does not do well in the presence of acid, but cases of botulinus poisoning have resulted from such acid foods as canned tomatoes and fruits, ' The spores of this bacillus can be destroyed only by very high temperatures. They can survive boiling for five and one-half hours. The pressure-cooker method is therefore recommended as the only practical, safe and effective method for canning non-acid foods such as vegetables, meat and fish. The presence of the botulinus bacillus or its poison cannot always be detected by the appearance or smell of the food. Tdsting it is extremely dangerous. In one fatal case due to this oid tasting habit, the housewife did not swallow but spat out the sample she was tasting, yet enough poison got into her system to kill her. The poison of the botulinus bacillus, fortunately, can be destroyed by boiling. So instead of tasting

suspected home-canned food, the |

safe procedure is to boil if first.

war production board, and got out a program to increase the output of baby clothes and children’s wear. Manufacturers who took up the making of these lowcost, most-need-ed items were given special deferments for ® their workers. Everything looked rosy.

Now the war production Ann Stevick 0.14 1s adding up what was actually done in the first quarter of the year under the program for children’s essential knit goods. Everything may not be rosy, but it is “adequate,” according to WPB estimates. Department of commerce figures on children’s knit-wear indicate big gains over last year. Healthy Increase . Figures for production of children’s vests, bloomers, and pants, of which 184,000 dozen were made | in February, 1944, show a healthy

Nighties and 'Knitties' for Kiddies Will Be Plentiful

By ANN STEVICK NEA Staff Writer WASHINGTON, May 8—In an election year with every: other voter a new parent, grandparent, or aunty, it won't be too surprising if children’s clothes turn up as a platform plank, Since last year’s children’s clothes shortages almost brought a march en Washington, a good Geal of effort has been put forth to get low-cost goods back. A baby-clothes specialist set up shop in the

increase over the 114,000 dozen manufactured in February, 1943. The total production of children’s and infants’ sleeping garments more than doubled last year's figures. Not only are this year’s figures ahead of last year’s but monthly amounts have risen since December in most downright essential items. Children’s and infants’ sleeping garments went up from 54,000 dozen in December to 65,000 dozen in February. WPB is not giving itself a rating of “colossal” on this showing, because it will probably not keep up with increased demands. Textile experts are thankful, however, that the downward trend in low-cost items has been stopped. There is one proposal to be taken up at a coming conference in Washington which would compel textile mills to produce former amounts of low-cost goods. The effect of such an order would be still greater production of lowcost

clothes for children.

The North Carolina tragedy has, however, raised considerable discussion over the relative merits of the single vs. the three-point release harness. The single-release, or quick-release type chute was developed by the British. Men in the 8th U. 8. air force, in Britain, prefer the single-release type, and it has been ordered for them in quantity. This harness 1s so designed that all straps end in a circular metal box on the flier’s chest. When the box cover is given a quarter turn to the right, the box is unlocked and a slight tap releases the strap ends. There is a safety device in the form of a pin, which must be withdrawn before the box can be unlocked. Modifications of the single-release type harness are being incorporated into thousands of these harnesses now in production for use by the army air forces, If experience proves it superior, it will be available generally to army air forces personnel, says Brig. Gen. Edwin S. Perrin, deputy chief of air staff,

One’s Quicker, One Safer

Gen. Perrin admits that after a Jump has been completed, it is easier for a man to get out of the single-release harness. On the other hand, tests have showed that a man might be thrown out of such a

harness on the opening of the parachute, and that it might be released inadvertently, The big safety advantage claimed for the three-point release is that it is impossible to be thrown from this harness during descent. Lt. Col. E. Verne Stewart, chief of the army air forces materiel command parachute unit, at Wright field, Ohio, himself a veteran of 438 jumps, states that the term “three-point release” is in effect a misnomer, since the jumper can readily get out of the harness by unhooking the chest release only and stepping out of the two straps

Bip kee} His

1 ii. i

5 § gs g

Hi g th i: 0

Illi

iE i$

& 8% ®

i pif mil

“7 i

I t

| i

; 3 : 3

£ 8

“a ih lil he

i: k iba

i ; 8

g 1] h it

i : :

i : !

: :

g E i |

g ¢

The drive for state laws Jgestricting union activities has not been

have been in session. But the Associated Farmers of California are reported to be now pushing two referendum proposals against labor unions, and the Christain American association was sald to be back of similar legislative efforts in Louisjana. This association has been charged by labor leaders with the most of the restrictive legislation that has appeared in various states. The states where anti-union laws were reported in practical suspen-

which pass between his legs.

d ! : i i

It i

i ii

: ;

Bi 1

! |

g is i

2 g : 5

§ 2 i § i

§ g

: i 8f

| :

; d i 5§

gE 5 § a 8

| 1

2 | §F

William Green, A. F. of L. president, sald there was no present intention to combat less stringent union-regulatory laws in several other states, including Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts, “We have no objection,” he said, “to such minor requirements as the

registration of union organizers.” R. J. Thomas, president of the C. I. O. United Automobile Workers,

several months ago defied a Texas

port to the A. F. of L. “has one fundamental objective, the complete destruction of labor unions, or rendering them so weak and ineffective as to amount to virtual destruction. By these enactments there has been launched in this country the philosophy of the totalitarian states, fascism, which includes the destruction of free trade

unionism.”

vet Se

PERFUME BY HOUBIGANT

7:45 p. m. Friday at the Firsh Baptist church, Meridian and Vers 4

py pt os ae BE

IT 1

Will Express Your Sentiments to Mother

Mothers days may be filled with serious wartime duties Buf you may Be sure

she's a romantic at heart and she still loves perfume. Make this May 14H

a Special day for her—with a special gift like Houbigant's completely bee

witching ‘fragrance—Chantilly. Delicate as its exquisite lace namesake , & 5 : bai . . Ed)

designed to envelop her in its aura of loveliness,

“

Bes

2 HIS Ereteft

fkeit, stil]