FOUL FISH AND FILTH FEVERS. 327 



Iii spite of these facts, some chemists, apparently in error, have doubted that salt 

 can ever become red from bacteria, or fungi, any more than the usual redness of car- 

 bolic acid can be attributed to such causes. 



Insufficiently or soft-salted codfish absorbs from the atmosphere more moisture in 

 their fiesh than well-salted codfish, and consequently weighs heavier, yielding more 

 profit to the unscrupulous fish-vendor. Such red-salted cod is accused of infecting 

 curing-houses, fishing vessels, warehouses, and wharves. 



Salt is sometimes red from containing the red hydrated oxide of iron, which has 

 nothing to do with this red-salted codfish. This red-salted codfish must not, of course, 

 be confused with the so-called red codfish, especially good eating, whose color is 

 attributed to its excessive feeding on shellfish and starfish, nor yet for codfish slices 

 ingeniously dyed red and sold by a fraudulent trader. 



Norwegian " sardines " are sometimes red, as alleged from inferior salt. A foreign 

 Government has recently offered a premium in money for the best means to prevent 

 salt from absorbing moisture. 



BACTERIAL INFECTION OF FISH, MEAT, ETC. 



Cooked and salted meats, as ham, beef, mutton, veal, pork, etc., frequently show 

 iridescence, similar to that produced by light falling upon the scales of freshly-caught 

 fish. This iridescence usually affects only a part of a cooked or salted joint; but it 

 may possibly be associated with decomposition in another portion of the same joint. 

 This iridescence seems due to conditions probably preceding decomposition, rather 

 than necessarily accompanying putrefaction. Where the meat has been otherwise 

 sound, sweet, and healthy, often have I eaten, and seen others eat, iridescent cooked 

 and salted meats without my having been able to trace any subsequent disturbance 

 or illness therefrom. 



However, I consider iridescent meat as suspiciously doubtful, and especially 

 inadvisable where any lesions may exist along any portion of the alimentary tract, and 

 above all to be avoided where there may be ulcerations about the intestines. Whilst 

 myself further investigating this matter, I shall be grateful to learn of any clinical, 

 pathological, or bacterial work or research on this branch of meat inspection — a subject 

 which has received too scanty attention from medical men. Though I have never yet 

 noticed any iridescence on cooked fish, there appears to be no reason why it might not 

 occur. Some writers and observers have actually mistaken phosphorescence for 

 iridescence. 



Bacillus phosphorescens produces phosphorescence in herrings and other aquatic 

 animals. This bacillus or germ, when artificially grown in very large quantities on 

 nutrient media, may in the dark emit sufficient light to enable one to see the time on 

 a watch, etc. 



In November, 1893, Prof. Klein showed that red or pink patches which had been 

 observed on cooked meat and cooked fish were due to the Bacillus prodigiosus (a non- 

 sporing bacillus), killed in a few seconds by a temperature of from 70° to 75° C. 



In investigating the matter Dr. Klein came to the conclusion that the bacillus 

 was due to the fact that a neighboring churchyard (which had been unused for gen- 

 erations) had been recently dug up, its human remains removed, and the old walls 

 pulled down. During this process a strong southwesterly wind chanced probably to 

 blow the disturbed microbes into the larder where these foods were kept. 



