397 



air at times. Sometimes the cultures become infected with yeast, which 

 will develop in a normal manner, seemingly not affected as is the mould. 



The antiseptic in the cranberries was weakened by the cooking, and it 

 made little difference whether the vessel in which they were cooked was 

 open or closed, development occurring iu the same time in both. It is 

 probable that the contained acid would evaporate to a greater extent if 

 the cooking had been done on a stove, as they are cooked ordinarity, in- 

 stead of in the enclosed sterilizer. It is also probable that some of the 

 antiseptic property is due to the astringent present, which is said to be 

 destroyed in the cooking 1 , and which gives the raw crauberry its unpleasant 

 taste. This is further borne out by the fact that the effect produced on 

 the mould is different from that produced by the benzoate, used either as 

 a salt or acid. 



In nearly all the experiments with other media, in which sodium ben- 

 zoate was used, in the lesser amounts, the organisms though delayed in 

 germination, and at first forming an abnormal development, apparently 

 became accustomed to their environment, and later developed fairly nor- 

 mally, which is different from the result in the cranberry juice, in the lat- 

 ter the restrictive effect persisted. 



CONDIMENTS. 



The condiments used were those which are used in ketchup — salt, 

 sugar, celery, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, ginger, mace, mustard, paprika, 

 black, white, and red pepper, and vinegar. Along with these acetic acid 

 and alcohol were also tested. With the exception of the cinnamon and 

 cloves, the other spices showed slight antiseptic properties, so are not re- 

 ported. They were tested in the form of infusions, made according to the 

 method of the U. S. pharmacopoeia 2 , also as acetic acid and oil extracts. 

 The ordinary table salt and sugar were used. The quantities of the con- 

 diments used in the report were determined after a series of experiments 

 had been made to locate their point of inhibition. 



1 Willis, C. R., Practical Flora, p. 174, 1894. 



2 U. S. Dispensatory, 19th ed., p. 651, 



