COOKING TESTS. 



GRAPHIC PRESENTATION OF RESULTS BY TWO METHODS OF HANDLING. 



37 



The graphic chart shown in fig. 15 is a striking illustration of the 

 widely differing results obtained by two different methods of handling 

 the same oysters. Fourteen gallons of oysters from the same lot of 

 shell stock were shucked by the same man, under identical condi- 

 tions, washed for from three to five minutes in ice water having 16 

 bacteria per cubic centimeter, divided into two lots, and handled as 

 follows : One lot was placed in uncovered cans with ice in contact and 

 handled in the usual manner by the oysterman on whose premises the 

 work was done, while the other lot was put in clean covered cans and 

 placed in the ice box surrounded by cracked ice which was not in con- 

 tact with the oysters. The results given in fig. 15 show that the 



FIG. 15. Comparison of results obtained by handling the same lot of oysters in two ways. Plotted results 

 are averages of duplicate samples plated on plain agar at 25 C. and on plam agar and bile salt agar at 

 37 C., for three days. 



oysters when kept clean and cold did not decompose or sour within 

 the period of observation, while those not thus treated quickly spoiled 

 and were soon unfit for food. 



It subsequently developed that the oysters used were taken from 

 polluted beds, thus partly accounting for the high B. coli content, but 

 in spite of this fact the oysters kept under good sanitary conditions 

 showed no appreciable change after five days' storage. Had good 

 oysters been used in the beginning even better results would have 

 been obtained. As it was, even with 10,000 B. coli present per cubic 

 centimeter practically no increase took place in the organisms pres- 

 ent in the oysters kept in the ice box, while in the other lot they 

 increased to 100,000 per cubic centimeter in five days. 



COOKING TESTS. 



Five sets of experiments were conducted to demonstrate the value 

 of cooking oysters and clams and the time required to destroy the 

 organisms present by heat. All of the tests were made by exposing 

 the shellfish to live steam (98 to 99 C.) in a steam sterilizer for 

 periods varying from 2 to 30 minutes. About 1 quart of oysters 



