4 BULLETIN 819, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



IN AND ABOUT THE OYSTER HOUSE. 



Method of Examination. 



Large swabs of cotton on wooden rods were made and sterilized 

 and kept in large jars plugged with cotton. A swab was dipped 

 in dextrose broth until thoroughly wet, and then the moistened swab 

 was rubbed lightly over the area under examination. The swab was 

 then returned to the tube of dextrose broth, marked with the neces- 

 sary data, and returned to the laboratory. Immediately on arriving 

 at the laboratory the dextrose broth tubes in which the swabs were 

 placed were incubated at room temperature (21° to 25° C.) for 12 to 

 24 hours, after which the broth was plated out in the proper dilu- 

 tions on dextrose agar. The plates were incubated at room tem- 

 perature for 7 days, being examined daily for the presence of pink 

 colonies. Whenever a pink colony was found it was taken from the 

 plate with a sterile needle and transferred to an agar slant. At the 

 same time a smear was made for microscopic examination. The 

 colonies are very characteristic, both in color and in general appear- 

 ance, and can be recognized without difficulty. A smear made from 

 each suspected colony was examined, however, in order to avoid 

 error in recording results. 



•Results. 



In the tables which follow letters have been substituted for the 

 names of boats, while the areas from which samples were taken are 

 designated by numbers. 



Table 1. — Results of examination of Jiouse and utensils. 



Date. 



Location examined. 



Result. 



1916. 

 Sept. 7.. 



Do.. 



Do.. 



Do.. 



Do.. 



Do.. 



Do.. 



Do.. 



Do.. 

 Sept. 18. 



Do.. 



Do.. 



Do.. 



Do.. 



Do.. 



Do.. 



1917. 

 Sept. 4., 

 Do., 

 Do., 

 Do., 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Do. 



Sides and floor of second bin, south side 



Dust from floor of fourth bin, south side 



Sides and floor of fourth bin, south side 



Opening bench in front of bins, south side 



Opening bench in front of bins, south side (men working) 



Opening bench in front of bins, north side 



Shells from bench, south side, that have rubbed around the bench 



Oysters from the pile in the bin (outside of shell examined) 



Shucked oysters as passed into washroom 



Deck of the steamer A 



Deck of the steamer A (men working at the time) 



Oysters in shell from deck of the boat (oyster meats examined) 



Inside the tub on steamer A 



Inside of wheelbarrow 9 



Inside of wheelbarrow 3 



Oysters in shell from deck of steamer E (oyster meats examined) . 



Sides and floor of fourth bin, south side 



Sides and floor of seventh bin, south side 



Opening bench, south side (new boards) 



Opening bench, north side (men working) 



Sides and floor of fourth bin, north side 



Sides and floor of seventh bin, north side 



Windowsills on the south side 



