ALLEGED CHEESE POISONING CASE. AUCKLAND, November 25.

Otago Witness, Issue 2387, 30 November 1899, Page 19

ALLEGED CHEESE POISONING CASE. AUCKLAND, November 25.

A week or two ago a family of five were taken ill after eating some cheese, and as the symptoms resembled those of ptomaine poisoning, portions of the cheese were handed over by the police to Mr J. A. Pond, colonial analyst, and Dr MacLaurin to be analysed. The result of the analysis shows that' the sickness could not have been due to ptomaine poisoning, but it is possible sulphate of zinc may have been the disturbing element. The analysts in their report say : "We have analysed these samples and have found no traces of tyrotoxican ptomaine, a poisonous alkaline, which has on some occasions, though rarely, been formed in oheese." The report adds that there is no evidence of any poisonous preservative in the rind, and goes on to say : "In the cheese in question we have found zinc to the extent of 2.96 grains to the pound, calculated as sulphate of zinc. Now this amount is not dangerous to life, but it is quite possible that portions of the cheese might contain a much larger proportion, of this salt than others, and the symptoms observed are. consistent with poisoning by zinc salts. At one time* zinc sulphate was habitually used in the manufacture of cheese at some places in England, a practice severely condemned. Whether in the present instance zinc salt has been deliberately added or whether contamination has occurred through the use

of zinc or galvanised iron utensils • in the dairy we cannot say, but an earnest warning should be given that the use of such utensils is attended with serious danger. As further evidence that the cheese which we have examined .is not dangerous to life,wchave fed several mice for from two t< three days from both samples without any apparent injury to the animals. One o{ us has also partaken of the cheese submitted on two occasions. This was takeii without other food after fasting for foui hours, more than half an ounce being, taken on the second occasion, without any urt pleasant symptoms being, observed."