Historical Note

The Pure Food and Drug Act was signed into law by Theodore Roosevelt on June 30, 1906. As the act was making its way through Congress, it was simply known as “the Wiley Act,” named after Dr. Harvey Wiley, the chief chemist at the Department of Agriculture most responsible for calling attention to the problems of adulterated food.

Dr. Wiley launched the hygienic table trials in 1902. The group of daring young men was soon branded “the Poison Squad” by newspapers covering the story. The men were required to be physically fit, of high moral character, and known for sobriety and reliability. They also had to sign a waiver of liability for any health consequences they incurred during the experiment. Surprisingly, Dr. Wiley never had difficulty recruiting subjects. As news of the study was printed in national newspapers, people from all over the country sent letters offering to volunteer.

There was high turnover among members of the Poison Squad, who rarely served more than a few months. The volunteers suffered from various ailments, including headaches, nausea, and clouded thinking. Over the years, Dr. Wiley gleaned insight into the effectiveness or toxicity of various preservatives, many of which were either considered safe for use or outlawed. Although early canned and processed foods were often tainted with shocking chemicals and fillers, the work of the Poison Squad helped determine nontoxic dosages that made the food supply safer in the coming years.

The Poison Squad was officially disbanded in 1907 when Dr. Wiley was appointed to be the first head of the US Food and Drug Administration. In 1912 he became head of the testing labs at Good Housekeeping, the women’s magazine already becoming famous for their Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, which conducted scientific tests on food and drugs for safety and efficacy. He died on June 30, 1930, the twenty-fourth anniversary of the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

The inaugural members of the Poison Squad. Dr. Wiley is the older man in the back row.