THE BACTERIA OF SOIL, AIR, WATER, ETC. 159 



The ordinary processes for curing and salting meat cannot 

 be relied upon to destroy pathogenic bacteria. 



Cases of botulism, or poisoning by eating oysters, fish, meat 

 in the form of sausage or canned meat, and other articles of 

 food, are not rare. They are due to products of bacterial de- 

 composition, as in the case of those poisoned by milk and 

 cheese already mentioned. Such affections are quite com- 

 monly called ptomaine poisoning. A number of bacteria exist 

 which are capable of affecting injurious changes in meat and 

 other foods either before or after ingestion. Among these 

 are an anaerobic bacillus described by Van Ermengem (B. 

 botulinus), various members of the groups represented by B. 

 proteus and B. coli communis (including paracolon bacilli), 

 and the bacillus enteritidis of Gaertner. In the case of B. 

 enteritidis a genuine infection of the patient and gastroenteritis 



*See Vaughan and Novy. The Cellular Toxins. 1902. Ohlmacher. Food 

 Intoxication from Oatmeal. Journal of Medical Research. Vol. VII., p. 420. 

 Galeotti and Zardo. Centralblatt fur Bakteriologie. Vol. XXXI. 1902. Orig. 

 P- 593- 



