COLD-STORAGE EGGS. 29 



though it differed from the fresh. At the expiration of 7.5 months 

 the difference was more marked, and after 12.6 months it had so 

 increased that it was characteristic of cold-stored eggs, and can only 

 be described as such. After 16.6 months a musty odor was noticed 

 as soon as the egg was opened. 



The integrity of whites and yolks was preserved at the end of 3.5 

 months; at the end of 7.5 months considerable difficulty was expe- 

 rienced in separating the whites and yolks of the unboiled eggs, 

 though in the boiled eggs this was accomplished readily. When stor- 

 age had been maintained for 19.6 months it was found impossible 

 to separate the yolks and whites of the raw eggs, the latter invariably 

 contaminating the former. The whites, which had been gradually 

 losing their thick, gelatinous condition and becoming more and more 

 watery, were now very thin and showed no tendency to adhere to 

 the yolk or to cohere. The yolk membrane was so tender that when 

 separated from the white it ruptured, though most carefully manipu- 

 lated. When cooked, the whites were rather pink and the yolks were 

 much darker in color than were those of the fresh eggs. The consist- 

 ency of the boiled yolk varied from that of the fresh yolk when stor- 

 age had been maintained for 16.6 months, the mealy character being 

 much reduced. Neither did the unboiled yolks float on water, as they 

 do when fresh. 



The physical variations from the normal are confirmed by the 

 changes in weight of the eggs when cold stored as compared with the 

 fresh. When fresh eggs are boiled, a loss in weight occurs, while 

 storage eggs gain on boiling. Apparently the whites lose more water 

 than do the yolks, and, consequently, gain more when boiled. The 

 boiled yolks when fresh contain less than 50 per cent of water ; when 

 cold-stored this percentage is increased, the figure reaching 64 per cent 

 in the last examination. 



CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. 

 DISCUSSION OF DATA. 



The average ash content of all the samples of fresh eggs is slightly 

 lower than that of the cold-storage eggs, and this is not entirely 

 explained on the basis of the decreased moisture content of the cold- 

 storage eggs, as may be seen from the table calculated to a water- 

 free basis. 



The total sulphur and the total phosphoric acid in the boiled 

 yolks do not show any progressive change for the eggs which have 

 been in storage for a period of 19 months. After 3 \ months' stor- 

 age the percentage of total phosphorus as lecithin phosphorus in the 

 boiled storage yolks is lower than in the boiled yolks of fresh eggs. 

 It is probable, therefore, that the organic phosphorus compound of 

 the egg yolk is being broken down into inorganic phosphorus. 



