BACTERIOLOGY OF THE OYSTER. 25 



oj^ster is not new. ^Houston performed a series of experiments 

 on this point and his technique and results are given in some 

 detail. 



EXPERIMENT "A/' 



September 9th» 1903. 



" The oysters utiHzed for this experiment were gathered in the Helford 

 Kiver, at low tide, on September 8th. They were cleansed in the 

 manner described elsewhere, before being opened with a sterile knife. 

 Each oyster was carefully detached from the two valves of its shell, 

 with as little injury as possible, and washed in the manner about to 

 be described. 



"A sterilized funnel was placed in a sterile, 1,000 c.c. measuring 

 cj-linder as shown in the accompanying figure. The liquor in the 

 oyster shell was poured into the cylinder before the oyster was 

 completely detached, and then the oyster was removed from the shell 

 with sterile forceps, held over the funnel, well washed with sterile 

 water, and allowed to rest in the funnel. Ten oysters were treated 

 severally in this manner, and then allowed to drain in the funnel. 



I. LIQUOR. 



" The total amount of sterile water employed for washing 



purposes was 810 c.c. 



The total volume of liquid (oyster liquor and ''washings") 



in the measuring cylinder was 840 c.c. 



Therefore the volume of oyster liquor for 10 oysters was 30 c.c. 



or 3 c.c. liquor per oyster. 



" The funnel containing the oysters was then lifted into a second 

 sterile cylinder, and sterile water was poured into the first cylinder 

 up to the 1,000 c.c. mark. 



" The cultures were then carried out in the ordinary way described 

 elsewhere. 



Restjits of the Examination of the Liquor. 



" Coli-like microbes were isolated in pure culture from 1 c.c. and 0.1 

 c.c. of the htre of mixed oyster liquor and sterile water. 



^Loc. cit. 



4 



