Food Poisoning and Food Infection 289 



with the paralysis of the respiratory muscles as the eventual cause 

 of the death of persons unfortunate enough to ingest a lethal dose. 

 Since the organism is an anaerobe, sealing cans or jars with the 

 exclusion of oxygen sets up ideal conditions for the bacteria to 

 multiply and to produce their deadly potion. Home canning of 

 neutral protein foods such as peas, beans, and corn cannot be safely 

 carried out unless the foods are processed with steam under 

 pressure. Ordinary canning methods in boiling water baths are 

 not sufficient to insure destruction of these resistant spores which 

 have their origin in the soil. The concentration of Clostridium 

 hotulinwn in soil varies with different locations, with our western 

 states having greater numbers of these spores than are usually 

 found in eastern soils. 



There are relatively few cases of botulism in the United States 

 with the result that the average person is not even aware that 

 such a disease exists. With the fine work being carried out by 

 home demonstration agents hired by our State Colleges and Uni- 

 versities, education of home-makers with respect to the importance 

 of the use of pressure cookers in canning certain types of foods 

 has proven valuable. 



Botulism is the most fatal of the food poisonings and infections 

 generally encountered by man, with death rates as high as 65%. 

 When the exotoxin begins to take eflFect, double vision and swelling 

 of the tongue are characteristic symptoms. Relatively little pain 

 is associated with the disease until just before death. 



An off-odor or an off-color in a freshly opened can of food may 

 furnish the clue that all is not well with the canned product. 

 Under no circumstances should such foods be tasted until they 

 have been boiled for at least ten minutes. Such heating in- 

 activates the toxin, although it will not kill the spores of Clostridium 

 botulinum. There are cases on record where only minute bits of 

 canned food were swallowed before the food had been cooked, and 

 death of the individual ensued within a few days. 



The question is frequently posed by students as to whether 

 frozen foods are potentially dangerous from the standpoint of 

 botulism. The answer is that they normally are not dangerous. 



