BACTERIA IN EGGS. 249 
bacteriological study of eggs has shown quite a number of different 
bacteria in perfectly whole eggs, freshly laid, and there seems 
to be no possible means of avoiding them completely. Even 
after the shell is deposited and the egg laid, bacteria are capable 
of entering it. The shell is somewhat porous and it has been 
proved by experiment that bacteria can pass through the pores. 
In short, the egg must be looked upon as a highly nutritious food 
product, in most cases already inoculated with bacteria, and a 
body which is practically suie to undergo decay in the course of 
time. There are fewer bacteria in winter eggs than in those laid in 
summer, and the cleaner the nest the less the bacterial contam- 
ination. 
It is, however, possible, by certain devices, to delay or prevent the 
growth of bacteria in the egg. The bacteria found in eggs do not de- 
velop at low temperatures and the eggs may be kept almost indefi- 
nitely at a temperature of 34. But since cold storage is not always 
available, other methods must usually be adopted. One of the 
simplest and best is by the use of water glass, a material made of 
sodium and potassium silicate. This may be purchased cheaply 
in the form of a thick syrup. It is then mixed with nine parts 
of water and placed in clean stone jars. The eggs are placed in 
the mixture and the whole set aside in a cool place. If the tem- 
perature is not allowed to rise above 60 the eggs may be kept from 
decay for a long time by this method, many weeks and even months 
elapsing before they will decay. In preserving eggs in this way it is 
important to know that April eggs will keep better than May eggs 
and these better than June eggs, while eggs laid in the hot months 
of the summer are less easily preserved, a fact probably due to a 
greater bacterial contamination during the warmer months. From 
this it will follow that the June storage eggs should be used first 
and the April preserved eggs last. 
Eggs thus preserved will keep from decay, but they will lose their 
fresh taste. Indeed, this fresh flavor disappears in a very few days 
and there is no way known by which it can be retained for very long. 
But after the fresh taste is gone the eggs will remain without further 
change for a long time and be usable. 
