BUEEAU OF CHEMISTRY. 



449 



producing to the receiving centers — is carried tlirough by means of 

 samples sent to the laboratory, just as the poultry samples are sent. 

 At the Philadelphia laboratory chemical analyses of 371 samples of 

 chickens, 75 samples of eggs, and 3 miscellaneous samples were made, 

 aggregating 3,844 determinations; 1,384 bacteriological examinations 

 of chicken were made, and 88 of eggs. In the field laboratories chemi- 

 cal examinations of 118 lots of chickens and 173 lots of eggs are re- 

 ported, accompanied by 173 bacteriological examinations of eggs and 

 504 of chicken flesh. At Omaha, where the desiccated-egg investiga- 

 tion was opened on June 20, 1911, 103 bacteriological examinations of 

 46 samples of eggs and 5 samples of water were made, accompanied by 

 281 chemical determinations prior to the close of the fiscal year. 

 This represents a total of 1,888 bacterial examinations of chicken 

 flesh and 364 of eggs, with chemical examinations of 489 samples or 

 lots of chickens and 294 of eggs. 



BACTERIO-CHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS. 



During the past year the principal bacterio-chemical investigations 

 conducted at Washington have concerned the conditions surrounding 

 the oyster and clam industry and the frozen and desiccated egg 

 products. These are continuations of investigations begun in pre- 

 ceding years and decided improvements have been made along these 

 lines. The frozen and desiccated egg industries have been studied 

 closely to determine if possible the real cause of the unsatisfactory 

 products often found on the market. During this work numerous 

 eggs in the shell have also been examined to supply a basis of com- 

 parison. Examinations of the mineral springs and bottling houses 

 and inspections of the sources of the springs and bacteriological exami- 

 nations of the products have been continued with good results. 



Edible gelatin has received considerable study during the past year, 

 including the examination of the raw materials and of the processes of 

 manufacture. Much work has been done on milk, cream, and ice 

 cream as served on dining cars. In connection with other laboratories 

 many examinations of ketchups, tomato pastes, and tomato products 

 in general have been made. 



The nature and number of the bacterio-chemical analyses made are 

 shown by the following tabulation of interstate samples and a state- 

 ment of the number of research samples handled: 



Interstate samples: 



Butter 



Cream (raw and pasteurized). 

 Eggs: 



Desiccated 



Frozen 



Shell 



Liquid 



Egg compounds 



Fish 



Gelatin 



6 

 23 



99 

 220 



7 

 16 



4 

 18 

 55 



Interstate samples — Continued. 



Ice cream 34 



Milk (raw and pasteurized) . . . 133 



Miscellaneous 67 



Oysters 145 



Ketchup and other tomato 



products 368 



Water (bottled and others) 55 



Total 1, 250 



The research samples included 23 samples of antiseptics, 112 

 samples of cream and milk, 103 samples of imported dried albumen, 

 909 samples of desiccated, frozen, and shell eggs, 52 samples of gelatin, 

 28 samples of infant foods, 15 samples of fish, 13 samples of antiseptic 



23165°— AGB 1911- 



-29 



