of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



29 



wall of the gut, and the rate of progress of ensuing putrefactive changes 

 in the gut and the adjacent abdominal walls, are : — 



(1) The quantity of food in the stomach at the time of capture. 



(2) The quality or kind of food in the stomach at time of capture. 

 (:>) The temperature at which the fish are kept. 



After solution of the gut wall the intestinal ferments aud bacteria pass 

 out at once into the peritoneal cavity. But even if the fermentative pro- 

 cesses are inactive and solution of gut is delayed, the intestinal juices and 

 bacteria gradually pass out through the dead membrane into the peritoneal 

 cavity, and the ultimate result is the same in both cases. This process is 

 readily followed by making cultures and microscopic examination of the 

 peritoneal fluid. Occasionally, in making microscopic preparations of 

 fresh peritoneal fluid, I observed what appeared to be possibly rod-shaped 

 bacilli. But on further examination of this fluid obtained immediately 

 after death with aseptic precautions by searing the abdomen and with- 

 drawing it by sterile platinum wire, then inoculating bile-salt glucose 

 peptone litmus solution, and plating out on Conradi and Digralski media 

 and making subcultures when necessary on appropriate media, I found 

 that in most cases the cultures gave negative results for the bacillus coli. 

 In over 100 such experiments there were only in the case of six fish pre- 

 sumptive evidence by the MacConkey media of the presence of the colon 

 bacillus. But on plating out, and by subcultures, it was found that two 

 of these cases gave negative results. In three of them atypical coli-like 

 organisms were present, and in two cases strepto-cocci were present. 



In consideration of these results, as well as those obtained by others 

 regarding man and the higher animals, we must conclude that the 

 peritoneal fluid in healthy living animals is normally sterile. That when 

 otherwise and micro-organisms are present there is probably always some 

 causal condition of disease or traumatism. However, it is remarkable 

 how soon after death one will find micro-organisms in it. In examining 

 the peritoneal fluid by the above method, I have frequently found bacillus 

 coli in about 45 to 60 minutes after death, and in a very few cases even 

 30 minutes after death. After one hour they will be found readily in 

 greatly increasing numbers. 



The functions of the peritoneum are subjects around which there has 

 been much discussion. Bat bacteriologists are now agreed that during 

 life the peritoneum exercises a strong protective influence against 

 intruding bacteria. After death, the power being lost, the intestinal 

 ferments and bacteria pass through it very rapidly and come into close 

 contact with the muscular tissue of the abdominal walls, which usually 

 in a few hours thereafter begin to exhibit a series of changes which are 

 very marked and definite. First, the surface of the muscles, and 

 especially those near the neck, which form the " lugs," begin to show a 

 delicate pinkish tint which gradually deepens to a reddish brown, and 

 finally to a dark yellowish amber or apple-jelly colour. Simultaneously, 

 as rigor mortis passes off, the muscles begin to soften, and this softening 

 of the inner surface of the thinner parts of the atdominal walls, combined 

 with the above-mentioned discoloration, is spoken of in the fishcuring 

 trade, in the case of the haddock, as "jelly lugs." If this condition is 

 well advanced the fishcurer knows that such fish are not fresh, and often 

 they are difficult to cure, especially as findon haddocks. 



If this pulpy, apple-jelly-like material be examined microscopically, it 

 will be found to consist chiefly of muscle fibres considerably swollen, 

 breaking up into discs, and in process of disintegration. Of the numerous 

 c 



