COOKING TESTS. 87 
GRAPHIC PRESENTATION OF RESULTS BY TWO METHODS OF HANDLING. 
The graphic chart shown in fig. 15 is a striking illustration of the 
widely differing results obtained by two different methods of handling 
the same oysters. Fourteen gallons of oysters from the same lot of 
shell stock were shucked by the same man, under identical condi- 
tions, washed for from three to five minutes in ice water having 16 
bacteria per cubic centimeter, divided into two lots, and handled as 
follows: One lot was placed in uncovered cans with ice in contact and 
handled in the usual manner by the oysterman on whose premises the 
work was done, while the other lot was put in clean covered cans and 
placed in the ice box surrounded by cracked ice which was not in con- 
tact with the oysters. The results given in fig. 15 show that the 
WEDNESDAY — THURSDAY FRIDAY 
: 20,000,000 
18,000,000 
; 16,000,000 
14,000,000 
& /2,000,000 
10,000,000 
9,000,000 
8,000,000 
7,000,000 
6,000,000 
5,000,000 
4,000,000 
3,000,000 
2,000,000 
4,000,000 
500,000 
250,000 
100,000 
10,000 
1,000, 
E, 
NUMBER OF BACTERIA PER CU 
Fig. 15.—Comparison of results obtained by handling the same lot of oysters in two ways. Plotted results 
are averages of duplicate samples plated on plain agar at 25° C. and on plain agar and bile salt agar at 
37° C., for three days. 
oysters when kept clean and cold did not decompose or sour within 
the period of observation, while those not thus treated quickly spoiled 
and were soon unfit for food. ? 
It subsequently developed that the oysters used were taken from 
- polluted beds, thus partly accounting for the high B. coli content, but 
in spite of this fact the oysters kept under good sanitary conditions 
showed no appreciable change after five days’ storage. Had good 
oysters been used in the beginning even better results would have 
been obtained. As it was, even with 10,000 B. coli present per cubic 
centimeter practically no increase took place in the organisms pres- 
ent in the oysters kept in the ice box, while in the other lot they- 
increased to 100,000 per cubic centimeter in five days. 
COOKING TESTS. 
Five sets of experiments were conducted to demonstrate the value 
of cooking oysters and clams and the time required to destroy the 
organisms present by heat. All of the tests were made by exposing 
the shellfish to live steam (98° to 99° C.) in a steam sterilizer for 
periods varying from 2 to 30 minutes. About 1 quart of oysters 
