BOTULISM AND HOME CANNING 17 



Effect of Other Agents 



Tanner (1933) has pointed out that the recovery of certain persons from botu- 

 linum poisoning after eating toxic foods and drinking alcoholic beverages, sug- 

 gested that ethyl alcohol has a destructive effect on the toxin. Several reports 

 have been published which verify and confirm the fact that ethyl alcohol acts 

 directly on the botulinum toxin. He raised the question, "Might this not ex- 

 plain the lower mortality from botulism in Germany, when alcoholic drinks are 

 used more at meals, perhaps than in America?" 



It has also been reported that this toxin maj- be destroyed by prolonged action 

 of direct sun, diffuse daylight and air. Storing the toxin away from air maintained 

 its toxicity for a longer time. 



The effect of other bacteria on the toxin of CI. botulinum is another factor 

 which bears consideration. It is well known that one organism may destroy the 

 toxin of another. Stark, Sherman and Stark (1929) found that in 14 days B. 

 subtilis reduced the toxin titer of a botulinum filtrate from 300 M. L. D. to 

 about 10 M. L. D. per cc. as determined by guinea pig inoculation. Jordan and 

 Dack (1924) and Dack (1926) reported similar findings in the case of Clostridium 

 sporogenes. Likewise other workers have found that several other common 

 organisms exert an antagonistic affect toward botulinum toxin. 



Botulinum Antitoxin 



Geiger, Dickson and Meyer (1922) indicated that nothing definite can be 

 said as to the value of antitoxin in the treatment of botulism, although it has 

 been used in a number of cases. Experimental animals have been fully protected 

 if sufficient antitoxin was given simultaneously with or a short time after the 

 administration of the toxin. In their opinion the only conclusion that could be 

 drawn was that botulinum antitoxin is of no value as a therapeutic agent when 

 given late, after the onset of the poisoning. There were no records of its admin- 

 istration sufficiently early to provide any comparison with results obtained under 

 experimental conditions. It was concluded that in all instances of botulinum 

 intoxication the antitoxin should be administered as soon as possible after the 

 consumption of the poisonous food. Tanner (1933) concluded that much work 

 must yet be done if botulinum antitoxin is to assume a position equal to that of 

 some of the other antitoxins. 



WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF CLOSTRIDIUM 



BOTULINUM? 



Growth in Foods 



As may be seen in Table 2 many common foods permit growth and toxin 

 formation by CI. botulinum. Thompson and Tanner (1925) inoculated twenty- 

 three kinds of food with detoxified spores of four strains of CI. botulinum. Those 

 found to be regularly toxic with all strains were red kidney beans, lima beans, 

 hominy, peas, sweet potato, salmon, and shrimp. Those irregularly toxic were 

 asparagus, beets, pumpkin, and spinach. The acid fruits and the very acid 

 vegetable products, such as sauerkraut and dill pickle did not become toxic. 

 They suggested that certain foods, such as spinach, asparagus, beets, and string 

 beans, which have a natural acidity near pH 5.0 when a sound product is canned, 



