3G8 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



If slight pressure be applied the caseous material will separate easily 

 from the capsule, leaving a comparatively smooth surface. This 

 condition does not appear to be of a progressive nature, as only one 

 submaxillary h'mph node is found affected in the carcass and usually 

 only one area in each node. Since these lesions resemble those of 

 tuberculosis, it was decided to collect a sullicient number of the nodes 

 showing typical lesions and inoculate guinea pigs with the caseous 

 material to ascertain whether or not these lesions are of a tuberculous 

 nature. In all, 31 Ij'mph nodes from retained carcasses were col- 

 lected and an equal number of guinea pigs injected. In each case 

 where a specimen was selected the carcass was marked so that it could 

 be identified in the retaining room ; in no case were lesions found 

 other than at the primary seat. Ten of the 31 guinea pigs died from 

 sepsis a few days after inoculation. The remaining 21 lived a suffi- 

 cient time to develop tuberculosis if tubercle bacilli were present 

 in the material injected. On post-mortem one was found to be 

 tuberculous. 



EGG INVESTIGATIONS. 



An investigation has been made of the frozen and desiccated egg 

 industries with special reference to the bacterial content of the fin- 

 ished products and the sources of contamination. Eggs from healthy 

 virgin pullets, whether recently laid or kept for six weeks in an ordi- 

 naiy clean condition, with or without refrigeration, were shown to be 

 free from bacteria. Infertile eggs and supposedly fertile eggs from 

 healthy hens were shown to be free from bacteria even when kept 

 for several weeks in an ordinai*y clean condition and with usual 

 housekeeping refrigeration. So-called " cracks," " seconds," and 

 '^ borderline" eggs were shown not to be necessarily infected, as when 

 broken under the strictly aseptic conditions of a bacteriological lab- 

 oratory they proved to be free from bacteria. On the other hand 

 large numbers of eggs from the classes just named, taken from cur- 

 rent receipts and broken under the conditions usually prevailing in 

 commercial houses, showed various degrees of bacterial contamina- 

 tion, apparently depending upon the nature of the surroundings, the 

 character of handling, and the intelligence of the workers. 



During the latter part of the year careful studies were made of 

 freshly broken egg material at houses where work was conducted on 

 lines of cleanliness and with proper application of bacteriological 

 methods. After having established a remarkably low bacteriological 

 content as obtainable under the usual conditions of breaking eggs in 

 such houses, note was taken of frequent unexplainable rises in this 

 bacterial content, which led to a careful research into the relation of so- 

 called sour, musty, cloudy-w^hite or green-white eggs to this high bac- 

 terial count in the broken-egg contents of jars and churns. As a 

 result of this phase of the investigation it would appear, up to the 

 prasent time, that in spite of the utmost cleanliness of workers, uten- 

 sils, and surroundings, carefulness and celerity in handling, there 

 frequently occurs a notably high count due to the introduction of 

 affected eggs which had not degenerated enough to permit their 

 detection by nose or eye as ordinarily trained. "WHiile trying to 

 preserve all that has been secured in the way of sanitary methods, it 

 IS apparent that further studies are necessary to secure protection 



