24 ^fASS. F.XPRRIMENT STATION BULLETIN .17« 



Studies of Methods for Determining the Sanitary Quality of Drinking 

 Utensils. (Ralph L. France, W. E. Cassidy, and James E. Fuller.) Re- 

 sults obtained to date on this project are as follows: (1) The use of a 

 wet swab on the glasses gives better results than a dry or a moist swab. 

 (2) As a suspending medium and a diluting fluid phosphate water and 

 saline were equally satisfactory. (3) A medium containing sodium chloride, 

 yeast extract, neopeptone, and dextrose recovered more organisms than 

 the standard plating agar. (4) All swabs should be iced immediately 

 after collection if the elapsed time between sampling and laboratory test- 

 ing is more than two hours. 



The Streptococci Test as an Index of the Sanitary Quality of Drinking 

 Utensils. (Ralph L. France.) A test for streptococci similar to that used 

 in swimming pool sanitation might be used to determine the sanitary 

 quality of drinking utensils. Results to date indicate that when a glass 

 or cup has been improperly sanitized it is possible to obtain streptococci 

 when the lip of the container is swabbed. In the case of a properly san- 

 itized glass this is not possible. Further work of a practical nature will 

 be carried on to add confirmation to these results. 



Neisseria Catarrhalis as an Index of Pollution in Swimming Pool Water. 



(Ralph L. France.) The use of N. catarrhalis, an oral and nasal-passage 

 organism, has been recommended as an index of pollution in swimming 

 pool waters. A comparison of this method with the streptococci index 

 and the coliform (Standard Method) index is being made. The results 

 obtained to date suggest that the streptococci index is much more in- 

 dicative of the actual sanitary conditions of a pool than is either of the 

 other two methods. In fact, this writer has been unable, up to the date 

 of this report, to isolate N. catarrhalis from swimming pool water by the 

 method recommended. 



Laboratory Service. (Ralph L. France.) Following is a list of the types 

 and numbers of examinations made during the past year: 



Milk (bacteria counts) 787 



Ice cream (bacteria counts) 116 



Water 150 



Miscellaneous: 



Butter fats 2 



Mastitis 2 



Ropiness 1 



Total 1,058 



