BACTERIOLOGY OF SARDINES 191 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38a 



Sivelled Cans, Series I. 



Can. I, Packer B. — ^Obtained direct from canning factory; packed with tomato 

 sauce; characteristic ''swelled" appearance. The pressure of the gas was so 

 great that on the can being opened part of the contents were strewn over the 

 laboratory bench. The odour was pleasant, though pungent, and may best 

 be described as the natural smell of normal sardines accentuated. It is of 

 interest to note that the plates made, using herring agar, rapidly developed 

 at room temperature a putrid smell resembling, as expressed by a laboratory 

 colleague, that of an "oriental latrine." 

 See CWture 32, Class I. 



Can. II, Packer A. — Obtained from a retail grocery store; packed in cottonseed 

 oil; same brand as those of "Swelled Cans, Series 11". This can was passed 

 as saleable and normal by a reputable salesman, and on personal examination 

 of his stock I retained it as suspicious. I have no knowledge as to the date 

 of packing. In appearance the can was slightly swollen, convex, but there 

 was no evidence of oil exuding due to pressure of gas. On opening, a percep- 

 tible amount of gas was forced out. The contents were soft and desintegrated ; 

 colour slightly darker white than normal ; odour an accentuation of the normal. 

 See Culture 34, Class I. 



Can III, Packer A. — Source and brand as Can II of this series. This can submitted 

 to me by the salesman. The appearance of the can, the appearance, condition, 

 and colour of the contents identical with description applied to Can II. 

 See Culture 35, Class I. 



Can IV, Packer B. — Source and brand as Can I of this series. In this can the 

 swelling had not progressed as far as in can I, and on opening the gas was not 

 so profuse. The general description there applied to the contents and to the 

 nature of the subsequent plates is equally applicable in this instance. 



See Culture 36, Class I. 



Can y, Packer B. — Source and brand as Can I of this series. The extent to which 

 the can had swelled, and the further description used above for Can IV apply 

 here. 



See Culture 37, Class I. 



Can VI, Packer C. — Obtained direct from canning factory; packed in tomato 

 sauce ; characteristic " swelled " appearance top and bottom convex. On open- 

 ing a small amount of gas escaped. The odour was not unpleasant, and may 

 be described as the natural smell of normal sardines accentuated. The con- 

 tents of the can were not nearly so much disintegrated as noted in some pre- 

 viously mentioned, were somewhat dry, and a little less hard than the con- 

 tents of normal cans. 



See Culture 64 Class I. 



Swelled Cans, Series II, Packer A. 



A cargo of sardines exported by packer A had been sunk in a harbour, remaining 

 under water for six weeks. When the cargo wa's salvaged, a proportion of the cans 

 were visibly swelled. The local Health Department submitted a number of these cans 

 for examination, as a result of which the cargo was condemned. Such cans, of course, 

 do not repi'esent the " swelled cans " of commerce. As, however, their condition and 

 the nature of their contents appeared somewhat similar to the swelled cans obtained 

 from other sources, the characteristics of some of the organisms isolated have been 

 included In this rei>ort. 



