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56
summons was taken out, but was not proceeded with, the cost of the analysis being
paid by the defendant.
Arising out of the question of the use of boric acid in sausages there was some
correspondence during the year with the London Butchers' and Pork Butchers' Trade
Society upon the subject. The Society urged that for trade purposes the use of a
certain amount of boric acid as a preservative was indispensable. With the consent
of the Health Committee the question was referred to Professor Klein, who was
instructed by the Society to make investigations with a view to determining the
smallest amount of boric acid which would be required to prevent putrifactive
changes in sausages kept for three days at a temperature of 76 degrees F.
The experiments were carried out as follows : —A sausage factory which appeared
to Professor Klein to be suitable and satisfactory for the purpose was selected. The
materials for making the sausages—veal, pork, and bread—looked in every way
satisfactory. Preliminary experiments were made to exclude the skins used and to
ascertain the bacteriological nature of the materials before adding the preservative.
The essential experiments were of the following character:—Sample I.— The bacteriological
analysis comprised analysis of the materials after mincing and mixing with
the preservative, and Sample II., of the finished sausage.
Sample I. on return to the laboratory was at once subjected to analysis in order
to ascertain its character and to be able to compare it with Sample II. after this
latter had been subjected to the required incubation.
Sample II. was placed in a moist chamber in the incubator and kept at a
temperature of 76 degrees F. Every evening the sausage was transferred to a
refrigerator and kept there overnight to be replaced next morning in the incubator at
76 degrees F. This was repeated on three successive days, after which it was
subjected to analysis thus:—The sausage was cut open with a sterile knife, and
material was taken from the interior and cultures were made in order to ascertain
whether any, and if so what, differences of a bacterial nature existed between Sample 1.,
composed of fresh sausage material, and Sample II., which had been kept for three
days under the above conditions.
As the result of these experiments Professor Klein expressed the opinion that,
provided the conditions as to locality, general cleanliness, character of the meats
and bread are satisfactory, 26.25 grains of boric preservative to the pound of sausages
should be the minimum quantity.
The report was considered by the Health Committee. It appeared to them that
the object of the experiments—namely, to ascertain the smallest amount of boric acid
that would keep a sausage sweet for three successive days at a temperature of 76 deg.
F. had not been achieved. As carried out, the investigation indicated that, with the
use of a refrigerator at night (for a length of time not stated), a sausage containing
26.25 grains of boric preservative per pound would have undergone no change when
kept for three successive days during the daytime (length of time not stated) at a
temperature of 76 deg. F. The Committee were of opinion that, had the experiments