High-res
The Charlotte News, North Carolina, December 17, 1902
Here are some of the young men, volunteer members of the Poison Squad, with Dr. Harvey W Wiley:
Dr. Wiley, a pioneer in food chemistry, safety, and toxicology, began his tests with the Department of Agriculture in 1902. His idea was to prove the injury to the health of certain additives and preservatives, such as borax, by having his team of human guinea pigs consume them and track the results. For one of the experiments, Poison Squad members ate borax in all of their meals from October 1902 until the summer of 1903. Other additives included formaldehyde, as well as sulphurous and salicylic acid. The Poison Squad’s works helped shape what became the FDA, which was formed in 1906 with the passing of the Pure Food and Drug Act (which was nicknamed the Wiley Act at the time). His tests for the Department of Agriculture and the FDA continued until 1907, when he packed up and moved into the Good Housekeeping test kitchen.
