COMMEECIAL EGGS IN THE CENTKdL WZ^m. 
41 
The laboratory data oiven in Table 14 shoAV that three of five 
samples contained less than 1,000 bacteria per gram at 20° C. and 
the other two 25,000 and 92,000, respectively. In three samples B. 
coli were not found and in the remaining two they were present in 
small numbers. Since the bacteriological findings given in Table 4 
indicate that this grade of eggs, when opened aseptically, is prac- 
tically sterile and contains no B. coli^ it might be concluded that 
the organisms found in the samples opened in the packing house 
were referable, for the most part, to outside contamination and not 
to the eggs themselves. On the basis of this assumption these re- 
sults will be taken as a standard of comparison in the succeeding 
discussion of the bacterial contents of other types of eggs. 
The moisture content of four of the five samples of firsts was lower 
than the amount found in fresh eggs, which result would be expected 
from the difference in the amount of shrinkage in the two types of 
eggs. The average percentage of ammoniacal nitrogen, which was 
taken as the index of protein decomposition, was 0.0020 per cent on 
the wet basis for summer firsts, compared with 0.0013 per cent for 
absolutely fresh eggs. These figures shovf well the difference in 
quality of the two grades of eggs. 
Table 14. — JuJij and August firsts. 
[15-dozen lots.] 
No. 
Source. 
Date of 
collec- 
tion. 
Total number of bacteria per gram on 
plain agar incubated at — 
Number 
of gas-pro- 
ducing 
bacteria 
per gram 
in lactose 
bile. 
Percentage of am- 
moniacal nitro- 
gen, Folin 
method. 
Percent- 
age of 
20° C, 
37° C. 
Wet 
basis. 
Dry 
basis. 
4802 
4SL3 
4966 
4967 
F5 
F5 
F6 
F6 
F6 
1912. 
July 22 
July 23 
Aug. 13 
...do 
Aug. 15 
Less than 1,000 
25,000 
Less than 1,000 
Less than 1,000 
92,000 
Less than 1,000 
20,000 
Less than 1,000 
Less than 1,000 
1,000 
10 


100 

0.0022 
.0020 
.0020 
0.0072 
.0065 
.0074 
69.59 
69.14 
V2.84 
4985 
.0019 
.0068 
71.87 
SECONDS. 
Seconds constitute a large proportion of the eggs used in the 
frozen and desiccated egg industry. In the spring, before the 
candling season begins, this grade consists of small, dirty, and over- 
sized eggs sorted from receipts by inspection. After the first of 
June, when all incoming eggs are graded according to the condition 
of the contents, seconds also include shrunken eggs, hatch spots, 
weak eggs, heavy rollers, etc. 
Since dirty shells during the process of opening contribute a 
special source of contamination, to the liquid eggs, this class of 
eggs is considered separately in this dissertation. 
