268 EXPEKIMENT STATION EECORD. 



A report on the further analysis of compressed corned beef as supplied at 

 the present time to the army, W. W. O. Beveridge (In Third Rei)ort of Com- 

 mittee oil ■ Physiological Effects of Food, Training, and Clotliing on the Soldier. 

 London: Gt. Brit. War Off., 1908, p. J/S). — A sample of compressed cooked 

 corned beef was examined. Determinations were made of the proximate con- 

 stituents and the different nitrogenous constituents. The tat was especially 

 studied, tlie usual constants being determined. 



Bacteriological report, C. E. P. Fowler (In Third Report of Committee on 

 Phijsiologieal Effects of Food, Training, and Clothing on tJte Soldier. London: 

 Gt. Brit. War Off., 1908, pp. 49-51; Jour. Roij. Army Med. Corps, 13 (1909), 

 Wo. 3, pp. 323-325). — In connection with the work rei^orted above, bacteriologi- 

 cal studies were made of .5 samples of camied meat, 3 of the cans being 

 "blown." From one of them an organism was isolated having the charac- 

 teristics of Bacillus pittrificus coll. " It nuist have been present in the meat 

 before packing, resisted the process of sterilization, and survived with very 

 slow growth under the strictly anaerobic conditions present. 



"The vitality of these spores is considerable, as they will resist boiling for 

 one or two minutes." 



The same organism had probably been present in one of the other cans 

 examined, according to the author, having " survived for a certain time and 

 then died out." 



[Experiments on canning- meat], W. W. O. Beveridge and H. B. Fawcus 

 (In Third Report of Committee on Physiological Effects of Food, Training, and 

 Clothing on the Soldier. London: Gt. Brit. War Off., 1908, pp. 57-72, dgm. 1).— 

 Two papers are included in this report. 



In the first paper are given the results of studies as to the penetration 

 of heat into the substance of the meat in tins during sterilization. A ther- 

 mometer was inserted into the interior of cans of meat which were heated 

 under conditions approximating those followed in processing canned goods. 

 From a consideration of the recorded experimental data, the authors point 

 out that " when tins of meat of identical size and shape are immersed in fluid 

 boiling at a certain temperature, there is considerable variation in the length 

 of time re(iuired for the center of the meat to reach a given temperature. The 

 cause of this is somewhat uncertain. Each experiment was carried out in an 

 identical manner, so that the cause must have been in the tins themselves. It is 

 probable that the ra,te of penetration of the heat is influenced by the amount of 

 fat present in the meat. The percentage amount of this is found to vary con- 

 siderably in different tins. The fact of the meat being tightly or loosely 

 packed, and the condition of the vacuum present, may also favor or retard the 

 penetration of the heat." 



In the second of the two papers included in this report the thermal death 

 point and the optimum temperature of growth were studied of the bacillus 

 isolated from blown tins of corned meat referred to above which is apparently 

 identical with Bacillus cadaveris sporogenes of Klein and B. putriflcus coli of 

 Bienstock. The general conclusions drawn from the investigation follow : 



[B. cadatieris sporogenes], although found nonpathogenic to animals, decom- 

 poses tinned meats and renders them quite unfit for consumption. Therefore 

 processes of sterilization of tins of meat must be used which will destroy the 

 spores of this bacilluB. 



"The optinuun temperature of growth of this bacillus is blood heat (.37° C). 



"At this temiierature inoculated tins of meat become rapidly decomposed, 

 but this decomposition is not necessarily made apitarent at once by the presence 

 of gas in the tin. Blowing of the tins often does not take place within a fort- 

 night, even at this temiierature. Tins of meat contaminated with the spores of 



