Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
March,  1920.) 
Botulism  from  Ripe  Olives. 
197 
BOTULISM  FROM  RIPE  OLIVES.* 
For  the  fourth  time  within  a  few  months  a  highly  fatal  outbreak 
of  botulism  due  to  ripe  olives  is  recorded  in  our  columns.  The 
article  on  an  outbreak  of  botulism  in  New  York  in  the  Journai.^ 
this  week  follows  close  on  the  heels  of  the  report  of  the  Memphis 
outbreak  in  our  "General  News"  of  last  week.  These  added  to  the 
outbreaks  at  Canton,  Ohio,  and  Detroit,  make  a  formidable  show- 
ing. 
Three  of  the  four  outbreaks  appear  to  have  been  traced  to  one 
brand  of  olives,  packed  in  southern  California,  a  fact  that  we  be- 
lieve should  be  given  wide  publicity  at  this  time,  even  if  commercial 
interests  suffer.  It  seems  at  all  events  as  if  all  local  health  authorities 
should  make  systematic  attempts  to  find  out  whether  this  particular 
brand  of  olives  is  being  distributed  within  their  jurisdiction.  It 
is  only  the  part  of  prudence  and  good  common  sense  to  make  sure 
so  far  as  possible  that  olives  of  this  brand  are  not  being  "salvaged" 
and  perhaps  distributed  to  scores  of  small  groceries  and  delicatessen 
shops  throughout  the  country. 
Two  particularly  disturbing  features  characterize  these  later 
outbreaks,  one  being  that  the  olives  apparently  responsible  for  the 
New  York  outbreak  were  not  of  the  same  brand  as  those  causing 
botulism  in  Canton,  Detroit  and  Memphis.  If  it  is  true  that  more 
than  one  brand  of  olives  is  involved  in  the  causation  of  botulism,  the 
difficulties  that  public  health  authorities  will  have  in  coping  with  this 
menace  are  measurably  increased.  It  is  evident  also  that  the  whole 
ripe  olive  industry  should  be  subjected  to  investigation  and  super- 
vision. Steps  in  this  direction  have  already  been  taken,  as  is  also 
noted  in  our  news  columns.  Thus  far  green  olives  do  not  seem  to 
have  been  implicated  in  the  causation  of  botulism. 
The  second  point  about  which  concern  may  well  be  felt  is  the 
seeming  willingness  of  unscrupulous  dealers  to  sell  olives  and  per- 
haps other  foodstuffs  that  have  been  condemned.  We  are  informed 
that  the  olives  causing  death  in  Memphis  were  obtained  from  a  store 
of  which  the  principal  business  is  buying  and  selling  salvaged  mer- 
chandise. In  this  case,  olives  found  in  a  dish  on  the  table  at  the 
house  where  they  were  served  had  a  very  objectionable  and  pro- 
nounced foul  odor.    In  the  New  York  outbreak,  a  distributing  com- 
*  From  Jour.  Amer.  Med.  Assoc.,  Feb.  21,  1920. 
^  Sisco,  D.  L. :  "An  Outbreak  of  Botulism,"  J.  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  21,  1920. 
