FOODS — HUMAN NUTRITION. 867 



some authors to be indistinguishable from or closely allied to the Gaertner bacil- 

 lus) in the oysters served at the banquet. " It is apparent that the disease 

 was due to bacterial infection, arising from the multiplication of the organisms 

 in the body after ingestion, and not to ' ptomaines,' as suggested by some. 



" Ptomaines are formed most commonly during the decay of animal matter. 

 They are essentially the decomposed animal tissue, not excretions of the bac- 

 teria, although the bacteria are responsible for the decomposition. Such de- 

 composition does not occur usually in the body, even in animal matter taken 

 as food. In abnormal condition^, if food remains in the body until putrefied, 

 ptomaines may be formed in the intestinal contents. When decomposed food 

 containing ptomaines is received in the digestive tract, or originally good food 

 decomposes there, the mucous membrane and blood may take up ptomaines from 

 this decomposed food, which ptomaines affect the tissues like other poisons. 



" Substances of quite varied chemical constitution are classed under the head 

 of ptomaines solely on account of their origin in proteid decomposed by bac- 

 terial action. Bacterial toxins are to be distinguished from ptomaines. Toxins 

 are substances which are or have been a part of the body of the bacteria ; some 

 are secretions from the germ, others are liberated only in case of the death and 

 breaking down of the germ itself. In this latter class is the toxin of typhoid 

 fever, which is therefore particularly different in its origin and action from 

 ptomaines. The toxins are much more poisonous than ptomaines and each one 

 is produced by a specific germ. 



" Some cases of sickness due to food have been classed as ptomaine poisoning, 

 when this cause was la'ter discovered to be the ingestion in the food of a par- 

 ticular bacillus which multiplied in the body and by its toxin produced intes- 

 tinal and other disturbances. Such cases are not ptomaine poisoning but may 

 be classed as food poisoning." 



Studies of meat corned by the Morgan process, K. von Karaffa-Korbutt 

 (Ztschr. Untersuch. Nahr. u. GenussmtL, 2Jf (1912), No. 6, pp. 365-385). — From 

 an experimental study of this method of pickling meat and a summary of 

 published data, general conclusions were drawn including, among others, the 

 following : 



The method of pickling the meat is not less important than its further treat- 

 ment. Ripening should take place in rooms with a temperature of about 0° C. 

 It requires from 4 to 6 weeks in ord^r that the osmotic processes may be 

 completed and the meat be uniformly salted. Storing corned meat for a suffi- 

 cient time at a low temperature improves its keeping quality. The relation 

 between the temperature of storerooms and the spoiling of pickled meat lies in 

 the symbiosis of different bacteria which gain access to it. Low temperature 

 favors the development of yeast forms and acidophylic bacteria and lessens the 

 growth of septic bacteria, and it is therefore a favorable factor in keeping 

 quality. 



On the falsification of the rice, S. Sato (Yakugakuzasshi (Jour. Pharm. Soc. 

 Japan), 1912, No. 361, pp. 217-2U, fiffs. 3).— It is stated that fine gravel and 

 siliceous earth are added to rice as an adulterant as well as to assist in remov- 

 ing the hulls. The percentage of ash in such cases may be as high as 6.36 per 

 cent, while good rice should have less than 1 per cent of ash. 



The milling quality of Washington wheats, III, R. W. Thatcher (Wash- 

 ington Sta. Popular Bui. 39, pp. 8). — A summary of data previously noted 

 (E. S. R. 25, p. 857). 



How to make bread from soft wheat flours, G. A. Olson (Washington Sta. 

 Popular Bui. Jfl, PP- h fig- 1)- — Directions are given for preparing yeast and 

 for mixing and handling the dough from Washington soft wheat flours. 



