PREVENTION OF INFECTION. 61 



No attempt has been made to name the organisms found on the red 

 cod, as the early descriptions are so meager that it is impossible to de- 

 cide as to their identity with those described later. Doctor Farlow, in 

 a recent communication to the writer, states that when the Clathro- 

 cystis is young or when it breaks up it might be considered a coccoid 

 form, but that the perfect stage is reticulate or clathrate. He does 

 not agree with the views of Zopf as to its polymorphism, or that 

 Clatkrocystis roseo-persicina is a stage of Beggiatoa roseo-persicina 

 or even a Beggiatoa at all. There is no question as to the identity of 

 the brown mold with the Oidium morrhuce, as the illustration which 

 Farlow has given in his paper and his description coincide with the 

 condition of the mold when grown on fish. He states that he has no 

 doubt that the Oidium is identical with the older Torula epizoa 

 Corda, sometimes called var. murina or morina, which occurs on 

 salted meats, as he has compared his form with the T. epizoa and 

 they appear to be identical. To the writer the name Oidium seems 

 ;o be the proper one, leaving out of account the question of priority, 

 as the morphology does not agree with that of Torulce as now 

 understood. 



The further the bacteriological work on the cause of reddening of 

 salt fish is carried the stronger the evidence becomes that it is due to 

 ! actory infection, to the use of contaminated water, and to the methods 

 >f handling. The outside influences, particularly the germs found 

 n the lowlands and in the vicinity of the factory, have probably 

 >een greatly overestimated. The amount of infection due to the use 

 of solar salt has not been definitely determined, as in the experiments 

 intended for that purpose the amount due to factory infection was 

 not wholly eliminated. What at the beginning appeared to be pri- 

 marily a problem of how to avoid spoilage in an infected product by 

 Dreventing the growth of the organisms present now appears to 

 consist rather in the usual difficulty of preventing infection. 



RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF FACTORY INFEC- 

 TION. 



1. The fish should be handled from the vessel to the scales without 

 )eing thrown upon the deck or dock where they may become infected 

 from the boards or be stepped upon by the workmen. All of the 

 docks are infected with the red organisms, and fish coming in contact 

 with them become inoculated. 



'2. The floors, scales, dressing tables, wash tanks, wheelbarrows, and 

 everything with which the fish come in contact in making them ready 

 for the butts should be frequently washed with water under consider- 

 able pressure. A relatively small stream of water under strong pres- 

 sure is far more effectual in cleaning than a larger stream of water 

 at low pressure. 



