11 



mation of poisonous cadaveric alkaloids, or ptomaines, in putri- 

 fying animal and vegetable matter, lend considerable 

 probability to the animal poison theory. In connection 

 with this it may be mentioned that a member of the firm above 

 referred to has stated — whether on sufficient grounds or not I 

 cannot say — that all these cases of poisoning have occurred in 

 the summer time, and when the fish has been eaten after the 

 tins have remained open for some time. 



It must be borne in mind, on the other hand, that the fish 

 could not have been in such a state of putrefaction as has been 

 usually considered necessary for the formation of ptomaines, 

 otherwise it would have been quite unpalatable ; and, moreover, 

 I have been informed of cases of poisoning after partaking of 

 tinned fruits — e.g., pineapples (in which much tin was found), 

 and in w r hich, much sugar being present, it is difficult to under- 

 stand how putrefaction could have advanced to such an extent 

 as to produce the effects observed, without rendering the fruit 

 quite uneatable. 



There is still another suggestion as to the cause of these 

 symptoms, viz., the presence of living poisonous matter, which 

 has found in the foods referred to a suitable medium in which 

 to grow and multiply. And here I may quote a case, an ac- 

 count of which was communicated to me quite recently by Mr. 

 Hamlet, Assistant Government Analyst in Sydney, N.S.W. 

 Some persons who had partaken of a tin of black currant jam 

 were seized with symptoms of poisoning. A chemical exami- 

 nation failed to detect any metallic or other poison, but a 

 microscopic investigation revealed the presence of considerable 

 quantities of fungi of various kinds. 



Obviously the matter needs investigation, but such an in- 

 quiry is beset with many difficulties. It is scarcely necessary 

 to point out that if w r e are to arrive at any satisfactory conclu- 

 sion in the matter, and to find a means of prevention, careful 

 records of all cases should be kept, even of minutest details. 



