INLAND FISHERIES. 107 



trap alive, and were immediately prepared to meet the conditions 

 of the various experiments. By this means no decomposition 

 could have taken place before the experiments were begun. The 

 fish were handled as carefally as practicable, so as to prevent 

 bruising- or rupture of the muscular tissue. Cleanliness was as- 

 sured through copious washing with sea water. 



To recapitulate, the experiments show that putrefaction takes 

 place most rapidly in fish from which the intestines have not been 

 removed ; that moisture augments the process of decay. Free access 

 of air tends to arrest, rather than promote, putrefaction, and drain- 

 age of the blood system is an important means of preventing 

 decay. If the head and intestines are both removed, and the fish 

 is suspended by the tail so that the blood, which is a most favor- 

 able medium for the growth of putrefactive bacteria, is drained 

 from the entire body, the fish will remain sweet for a considerable 

 time without the use of ice. 



In none of the above preparations were putrefactive bacteria 

 prevented from entering thejlesh, or hindered in their action after 

 entrance. Consequently further investigations were made to at- 

 tempt to dress and pack the fish in such a manner that the bacte- 

 rial invasion could be delayed at least for a few hours. To do this 

 the fish were loashed with a solution which would be unfavorable 

 to the growth of bacteria, and at the same time not in any way 

 injurious to the flesh. It is to be noted, however, that the fish are 

 not injected with the solution, nor are they in any sense preserved 

 in it. 



Various solutions were tried, and, with one exception, without 

 success. In every case the control experiments were made on fish 

 taken at the same time, but not subjected to special treatment : 



I. The first experiment was with a 0.1 per cent, solution of 

 salicylic acid in sea water. Twenty-four squeteague, taken alive 

 from the nets, were carefully dressed, washed with this solution, 

 packed in a box, and allowed to remain for twenty -four hours. 

 The temperature ranged from 73° to 76°. When examined the 

 next morning, there was a perceptible odor of putrefaction ; the 



