118 



SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



ingested bacteria from the alimentary canal of the shell-fish : in the 

 second place, it actually destroys the micro-organisms present in the 

 bodies of the shell-fish, but this appears to be a function of subsidiary 

 importance. 



It is pointed out that there is urgent need for investigation into the 

 specific nature of the various kinds of micro-organisms present in faeces 

 and in polluted waters and shell-fish, and that the natural history of 

 these organisms demands consideration. The following is a table 

 showing the percentage of " coli-f orm " organisms found in human 

 fseces and sewage-polluted mussels respectively : — 



•j 30p.c. 



MacConkey : 

 Organisms abundant 

 in human faeces. 



B. neapolitamis 



B. No. 11 



B. vesiculosus 



B. grilnthal 



B. sulcatus gasofornians 

 B. cartellus 



B. coli communis . 



B. cavicida 



B. schafferi 



B. lactis serogenes .. . . j 



B. dysenterix > 4 p.c. 



B. capsulatis ) 



22 p.c. 



I 20 p.c. 

 6 p.c. 



Organisms present 



in shell-fish : 



mussels. 



4 p.c. 



24 p.c. 



7 p.c. 



G p.c. 



Organisms rare in 

 human fseces. 



B. acidilacti 0'5 p.c 9 p.c. 



B. coscoroba 0'5 p.c 2 p.c. 



B. cloacae — — 



B. Nos. 100 and 101 .. 0-5 p.c 10 p.c. 



B. rhinosclerotoma .. 0'5p.c 1 p.c. 



