PRESERVATION BY PICKLING 503 
The fishermen often attempt to reduce the amount of water taken from 
the fish by using lesser amounts of salt so that the fish will weigh more 
in port. Souring may result. After the fish are on shore they may be 
further dried by means of salt. The amount of salt taken up by fish 
Js given in the following table from Bitting. 
AMOUNT OF SALT TAKEN UP BY FISH PUT UP IN DIFFERENT FORMS 
(After Bitting, 1911) 
Salt, Per Cent. Moisture, Per Cent. 
Fish cakes... 2... 0. eee ee eee 18.9 47 .6 
Slack salted.......... 0.0.0... 0005 145 37 .2 
Export... 0c ccc ccc eee neces 19.6 25.6 
Shredded... . 0... ccc eee eee ee 20.6 46.2 
NLL 
Reddening of Cod Fish. Bitting (1911) has discussed the bibliog- 
raphy of this subject. His own work on this question yielded a coccus 
and bacillus as the possible causes. He has reported the complete 
cultural characters of these organisms. Indications point to the 
infection of the fish during its preparation. Undoubtedly the organism 
is able to resist the action of salt. 
Pickling. This might be discussed under another heading. Pickles 
are usually combinations of sugar, salt and often molasses. They are 
usually used in such combinations and concentrations that they inhibit 
bacterial life but do not blot it out entirely. Salt acts as a dehydrating 
agent. One result of this is a hardening of the tissue. Sugar does not 
do this, and is, therefore, often used with salt. It imparts a sweet 
flavor to the meat. Hoagland (1908) regards the action of saltpeter 
in influencing the color of meat as due to the formation of no hemoglobin. 
Saltpeter is reduced within the meat to nitrites which, in turn, are 
changed to nitric oxide. This unites with the hemoglobin to give the 
characteristic red color. Saltpeter, which is used in many pickling 
solutions, probably exerts little effect on bacteria. 
Sugar. Carbohydrates lack some of the preserving action of the 
salts. Bitting (1909) also tried the effect of sugar in preserving tomato 
bouillon. No effect of sugar was noticed until the amount of sugar 
had reached 25 gms. per 100 c.c. of bouillon. With the molds studied, 
sirups were prepared up to 200 gms. of sugar per 100 c.c. of tomato 
bouillon. The growth became slower up to 170 gms. Above 170 gms. 
it required two months to get growth. Yeasts were not able to survive 
80-gm. solutions of sugar. 
