168 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



had a favorable opportunity to grow while the sample was in transit. Need- 

 less to say many bacteria of different types were found to be present but 

 B. hotulinus was not found. This is probably the information which was 

 desired anyway, since the several outbreaks of botulism have stimulated the 

 housewife to be on the alert for spoiled canned goods. 



Canned com: Three samples of canned corn were sent in for analysis. 

 One sample was said to taste sour and the question was asked: "Is B. 

 hotulinus present?" Yeasts, diplococci and a few small gram positive rods in 

 short chains, but no B. hotulinus was found. The can containing the second 

 samj^le of corn had a cracked cover. It was stated that many of the cans of 

 corn of this pack showed the same phenomenon. It was not easy to say 

 whether the covers were defective or whether so much gas formed in the can 

 that the cover could not stand the strain. In every case, it was stated, the 

 corn was apparently contaminated with microorganisms. The corn in this 

 particular case was moldy, slimy, contained quantities of gas and many small 

 flies and their larvse. The corn had a sour, putrid odor. No spore-forming 

 organisms were found to be present, consequently the cracked cover was 

 attributed to defective glass or too strong a spring. 



A sample of commercially canned corn was placed at 65° C. to see whether 

 it contained thermophiles before inoculating with a pure culture of a thermo- 

 phile already isolated. This corn, after about two weeks' incubation, was 

 found to have an odor and to contain a thermophile resembling the pure 

 culture. The corn was very much disintegrated and mushy, and considerable 

 gas was present. 



Canned string heans: The beans, canned in glass, had been opened and 

 touched with the fingers to determine their consistency which was said to 

 be mushy. They were said to have an off odor. Microscopical examination 

 proved them to contain but very few organisms. There was no gas, no sedi- 

 ment and the juice was clear. These beans were evidently all right since 

 cultural tests were negative. 



Canned tomatoes: The tomatoes examined were canned by the open 

 kettle method. This can (sealfast) was a leak. The tomatoes appeared full 

 of gas and somewhat disintegrated, l)ut the odor was normal. A slender 

 rod with a terminal spore was isolated and found to be the cause of the gas 

 production. 



Canned heets: A can of commercially canned beets was brought in which 

 appeared to be all right but on opening, the beets were found to be black, 

 and this blackening was found to extend to the center of the ])eet. The 

 odor and taste was said to be normal. Gram negative gas forming bacteria 

 resembling B. tetani morphologically, were found to be numerous as also 

 were large gram positive sarcines. 



Canned pineapples: A swelled can of commercially packed pineapples, 

 supposed to be poisonous, Was examined and found to contain only yeasts 

 in numbers. The odor and taste was of ethyl alcohol. Analysis showed 

 4.16 per cent alcohol by weight to be present. CUiinea pig inoculation proved 

 negative. 



Canned pickled pears: These pears had been removed from a commercially 

 canned gallon can which was a swell. The contents were thought to be 

 poisonous. The juice had a bluish fluorsecence. Two pure cultures (gram 

 negative) isolated were very vigorous gas producers at 37°. They were not 

 B. hotulinis however. 



Canned asparagus: This can was not a swell but the liquid was cloudy. 



