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59
Sample No. 1 was a piece of green bacon landed March
23rd. Sample No. 2 was a piece of green bacon landed March
6th, and unboraxed. Sample No. 3 was a piece of smoked
bacon, date of landing unknown.
"The three pieces of bacon delivered here on March 23rd,
viz., one piece of bacon boraxed, No. 1, one piece of bacon not
boraxed, No. 2, and one piece of bacon, boraxed and then
smoked, No. 3 (delivered here on March 24th), were kept
under observation until April 6th; the temperature was as
follows :—
March 23rd in the morning 55 F.
24th 50
25th 55
26th 50
27th 46
28th 54
30th 54
31 st 48
April 1st 54
2nd 52
3rd 53
4th 50
6th 53
"On April 6th all three pieces of bacon were removed from
the box and inspected—
"Piece No. 1 looked the same as when put into the box,
no smell, very little mould on sides.
"Piece No. 2 had stale smell, in many parts slimy matter,
good deal of mould on sides.
" Piece No. 3, same as No. 1.
"The bacteriological analysis was carried out in the following
manner: of each sample 5 to 6 grammes of meat and fat from
the depth were finely minced and distributed and well shaken in
10 c.c. of sterile salt solution ; each cubic centimetre of the turbid
emulsion corresponded therefore to about ½ gramme of material.
The cultures were made in various media in order to ascertain (a)
the presence of undesirable microbes and (b) the general character
of the microbes present. The results were as follows
(a) None of the samples contained any bacillus coli.
(b) All three samples contained abundance of cocci ; these
in culture yielded white colonies ; they were quite harmless and
their culture had no smell at all.
(c) Sample No. 2 (not boraxed) had in addition abundance
of short streptococci, and, what I consider of great importance