2'»2 PHOSPHORESCENT MEAT, 



Rut this onh' takes place on exposure to the ah", for 

 the Photo-bacteria cannot shine \\ithout o.wtren. Tliis 

 phospliorescence is easih' transferred from tish to meat: 

 lienre the opinion so long held that phosphorescent 

 meat must ha\'e been in contact with lisli. But lateh- 

 the botanist Hans Ahjiisch has cstablislied the fact that 

 luminous bacteria are regularU' met with inland. The^' 

 require a little salt, and this ma^- explain wh\' hmiinous 

 bacteria ha^'e not A'et been proved to inhabit fresh 

 \\ater. Mention is made of phosphorescent meat in 

 ver^■ ancient times, but the first reliable information 

 about it dates from 1592 and is clue to the famous 

 anatomist of Padua, Ilierominas Fabricius ab Ai^jua- 

 pendale. .\n\one can easih' obser\'e this ]3henomenon if 

 so inclined. But a butcher who noticed it would, tor 

 g"ood reasons, conceal it. for phosphorescent meat 

 looks unpleasant, and rumours of such an occurrence mii^dit 

 injure his trade. I^uminous bacteria are. hou'e\'er. cjuite 

 harmless, and e\'en a jihosphorescerit sausage uku' be 

 eaten without an\' danger. prr_)\'ided. of course, that it is 

 not bad in an^' other wa^', and does not contain an^' of 

 those poisonous I'tomalnes \\hich are known in German^■ 

 as " Wurstglft ". A low tempcratiu'e favours the 

 development of luminous bacteria, so that the^■ thrive 

 in ice cellars and cold storage rooms, ^h^st pieces ot 

 meat, it laid in a three per cent solution of salt and 

 \vater so that the\' arc not quite submerged, should 

 begm to phosphoresce alter a few da_\ s. Phosphorescent 

 meat need not necessarih' smell l")ad. for it ma\' cinh- 

 be in the \er\' first stage of deca\ . The bacteria which 



