112 PRELIMINARY COLD STORAGE STUDIES. 



And as a general conclusion to the whole matter he makes this 

 statement : 



All bacteriological evidence conclusively proves that the edible portions of healthy, 

 dead, undrawn poultry and game do not contain any bacteria, toxines, or ptomaines 

 that are harmful when eaten by man, so long as such poultry is kept free from putre- 

 faction. That poultry that goes into cold storage in good bacterial condition comes 

 out in exactly the same condition that it went in, so long as the temperature of the 

 poultry is kept low enough to prevent the growth of putrefactive bacteria and, finally, 

 that the longer poultry remains frozen the less bacteria does it contain. 



SUGGESTIVE LEGISLATIVE ACTION. 

 MASSACHUSETTS ENACTMENTS. 



That the question of the advisability of storing fowls in an un- 

 drawn condition is one of widespread interest is evidenced by the 

 localities which have made this matter a subject of investigation 

 and have finally presented it to their legislative bodies. For instance, 

 in Massachusetts a bill was introduced relative to the sale and storage 

 of poultry, in which it has recommended that 



Whoever, himself or by his servant or agent, or as the servant or agent of any other 

 person, firm, or corporation, sells, exposes for sale, exchanges or delivers, or has in 

 his custody or possession with intent to sell, exchange, or deliver, any dead poultry 

 from which the head, crop, if it contain food, and the entrails have not been removed, 

 shall be punished by a fine of not less than five nor more than fifty dollars for each 

 offense; but the provisions of this section shall not apply between the first day of 

 April and the thirty-first day of October in the case of what is known commercially 

 as "Iced poultry," that is to say, poultry shipped in ice. 



Whoever, himself, or by his servant or agent, or as the servant or agent of any other 

 person, firm, or corporation, places, or causes to be placed, or holds in cold storage 

 for purposes of sale, any poultry from which the head, crop, if it contain food, and the 

 entrails have not been removed, shall be punished by a fine .of not less than twenty- 

 five dollars for each day said poultry is held as aforesaid. For the purposes of this 

 and the preceding section, the word "poultry" shall be deemed to mean ducks, 

 geese, turkeys, fowls, and chickens. 



The result of the introduction of this bill was the passage of a 

 resolution providing for a comparative investigation of drawn and 

 undrawn poultry when shipped or stored. Dr. Charles Harrington, 

 secretary of the board of health of Massachusetts, undertook to 

 carry out the investigation which was recommended, and has sub- 

 mitted a report in which he draws the following conclusions: 



1. During cold storage at from 15 degrees below to 5 degrees above Fahrenheit 

 no chemical changes occur. This is shown by the absence in both the drawn and 

 undrawn birds of ptomaines and decomposition products in general, and by negative 

 reaction on the part of animals inoculated with extracts obtained from both kinds of 

 material. 



2. When removed from cold storage and exposed to ordinary temperatures, the 

 condition of exposure being the same, the undrawn birds show better keeping quali- 

 ties. 



3. Freezing renders the muscular tissues more susceptible to bacterial invasion 

 after they are thawed out. 



