BACTERIA IN FOODS 237 



teria present run into millions. In nearly all recorded cases 

 the quality of the germs as well as the quantity has been of 

 a nature to cause some concern. Bacillus coli communis^ 

 which, though not now considered absolutely indicative of 

 alimentary pollution, is looked upon as a highly unsatisfac- 

 tory inhabitant of water, has been found in considerable 

 abundance. The Proteus family, which also possesses a 

 putrefactive function, is common in ice-creams. The com- 

 mon water bacteria are nearly always present. 



Bacillus typhosus itself, it is said, has been isolated from 

 some ice-cream which was held responsible for an outbreak 

 of enteric fever. The material had become infected during 

 process of manufacture in the house of a person suffering 

 from unnotified typhoid fever. 



Now, whilst reports of the above nature appear very 

 alarming, the fact is that hundreds of weakly children de- 

 vour ice-cream with apparent impunity, and when evil fol- 

 lows it is not infrequently due to other than bacterial 

 conditions. The cold mass itself may inhibit the resistance 

 of the gastric tissues. Tyrotoxicon, the alkaloid separated 

 from cheese and cream by Vaughan, may be responsible for 

 some alimentary irritation. On the whole, the practical 

 effect upon the community is not in proportion to the 

 bacterial content of the ice-cream. Yet, nevertheless, we 

 ought to be much more watchful than in the past to preserve 

 ice-cream from pollution with harmful bacteria. 



The two chief constituents which contribute their quota 

 of germ life to ice-cream are ice and cream. In addition, 

 the uncleanly methods of manufacture render the material 

 likely to contain the six or seven millions of micro-organisms 

 per cc. which have been on several occasions estimated. 

 To cleanly methods of dairying we have already fully re- 

 ferred ; to the bacterial content of milk and cream we have 

 also paid some attention ; but we have not had an oppor- 

 tunity of saying anything of germs in ice. 



