1 1 86 MEAT TRADF. 



undestood by " metallic taste ". According to these exj^erts, such taste 

 is closely akin to the fishy taste of oil, tallow, etc. ; it is difficult to detect, 

 but, nevertheless, qualified men succeed in detecting it when they have 

 become familiar with it. 



The writer studied the conditions tmder which the metallic taste ap- 

 pears in dairj' products. He found that the direct absorption of metals 

 may produce this flavour. His observations have furthermore demonstra- 

 ted that a high content of acid seems essential for the development of the 

 taste, which is more likely to appear during the very hot season. Further- 

 more, with the exception of butter milk, the taste onlj' appears when the 

 fat content is high. The taste appears suddenly, and low temperatures 

 very often make it more noticeable. 



Besides the direct absorption of metals, bacteria may produce the 

 metallic taste. A quantity of butter milk put into sterilised bottles was 

 found to have this flavour in some cases. In 241 samples of cream placed 

 in sterilised glass bottles the metallic taste was produced in 79 b}^ the in- 

 oculation of butter milk having that flavour ; likewise in 167 samples of 

 cream put into sterilised glass bottles the taste was produced in 52 by 

 inoculation with bacteria. 



The writer has studied the microflora of products having a metallic 

 taste ; lie found on the other hand that the addition of f ormalde h3^de only 

 rarely prevents the occurrence of the taste, which appeared 35 times in 41 

 samples of butter milk of which there had been added, per 100 cc, from 

 2 to 30 drops of a solution containing ^'] to 40 % of formalmaldehyde. 



Finally the writer endeavoured to ascertain the relation between the 

 production of enzymes and the appearance of the flavour b}' utilising pro- 

 ducts which prevent the growth of bacteria but allow of enzyme action. 

 For this purpose toluene and chloroform were used : the results were not 

 satisfactor}^ owing to the difliculty of distinguishing and analysing the 

 taste of the liquids treated with these antiseptics. Nevertheless, it seems 

 that the metallic taste can be produced by the action of enzymes. 



In the inoculation experiments it was found that the bacteria capable 

 of producing the metallic taste appear to be the same as the well known 

 bacteria found in milk, and belonging to the group Bacterium Icutis acidi ; 

 the only difference, if any, was that the former were a little larger than 

 the types representing the group, but only very slightly. It is therefore 

 concluded that the organism which causes the metallic taste is a member 

 of or derived from the group Badcriiim ladis acidi. 



In an a})i)endix, a bibliographical note gives a list of (S works . 



915 - The Production of Beef in South Africa. — iiolm Alkx, in ihc AKncmturat jnumai 



and Small-Hi'ldci nf Saiilh Africa, Vol. Ill, No. 16, pp. 104-109. Johannesburg, April i<)i(<. 



The production of beef in the South African Union has made ra])id 

 strides of late years, particularly during the last two years. 



In 191 1 the Union possessed 3500000 cattle. In 1914 there were 

 5 797 000. The writer estimates their number at about 8 000 000 in the 

 first half-year of 1916. In 1903 the value of imports of beef and mutton 



