8 GEORGE V SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38a A. 1918 



XII 



THE BACTERIOLOGY OF SWELLED CANNED SARDINES. 



By Wii.FKin Saddlfr. ^M.Sc, B.S.A. 



Introduction. 



In a survey of the literature relating to the bacterl^lftgy of " canned fish " it is 

 found, with a few exceptions, that the investigations recorded have been undertaken in 

 connection with proved and alleged cases of food poisoning. Consequently the data 

 available are largely interrelated with data on the bacteriology of canned meats, and 

 of ordinary meats as supplied unpreserved. The exceptions of which I have knowledge 

 ajre the investigations of Prescott and Underwood (1897)^ on " Micro-organisms in the 

 Cannery Industries" ; the work of Macphail associated with Bruere (1897)^ on "Dis- 

 colouration in Canned Lobsters"; and the recent work of Obst on "A Bacteriological 

 Study of Sardines" (1910)". Prescott and Underwood working on cans of spoiled 

 clams and lobsters isolated species of bacteria, two classed as micrococci, the other 

 seven as bacilli. The investigators found the cans to be badly decomposed, in some 

 cases almost entirely liquefied, much darkened in colour and of a very disagreeable 

 odour. 



Of the bacilli, six coagulated and digested milk, while none of the seven produced 

 gas in sugar solutions. According to the descriptions given, certain of these cultures 

 bear a close resemblance to some recorded by me among the organisms in class II on 

 pages 211-213. Both strains of micrococci isolated by these workers failed to coagulate 

 milk, and failed to produce gas in sugar solution. The bacteria were not named. 



Macphail and Bruere' in their work on lobsters isolated and recorded the features 

 of four strains of bacteria; two were cocci, and two were fine rods. Each of the four 

 were inoculated into sterile cans of lobster, and in due course the rules of proof were 

 satisfied. Some of the organisms I have isolated — ^Class I — bear a resemblance to cer- 

 tain of the strains described by Macphail and Bruere, but it is impossible to express 

 a definite opinion as to their mutual identity. 



Obst^ in the report of her investigations on " A Bacteriological Study of Sardines " 

 states that a bacillus, designated " Bacillus A ", has been found in pure culture in two 

 hundred and eighty-seven swelled sardine cans. The organism is a spore-former* 

 hundred and eighty-seven swelled sardine cans. The organism is a spore-former'^ and 

 according to Obst is possibly identical with B. Walfischrauschhrand (Ivar Nielsen).^ 

 The only reference I can find to the bacillus of Nielsen^ fails to give full cultural 

 details. In the fall of last year I was in communication with Mrs. Obst, but at that 

 time her report was not available; as I have received no copy I consider it probable 

 that it is not yet published. From the reference cited'^ which extracts a recent paper 

 read before the Society of American Bacteriologists I am unable to compare any of 

 my strains with the "Bacillus A". The reference does not mention the thermal death 

 point in laboratory media, but states that the organism after inoculation into cans 

 of sardines survives bathing in boiling water for IJ hours. With the strains described 

 in my report no experiments under commercial conditions have yet been conducted. 

 For the present I am not justified in going further than to state that based on such 

 information as is available, it is improbable that the strains isolated by me are identical 

 with the " Bacillus A " of Obst. 



The relationship of bacteria to sardines was discussed by Auche ^ (1894), but 

 the paper is not available. 



* In the strains I have isolated Class I, no evidence cf spores has been demonstrated. 



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