698 
Journal 0} Agricultural Research 
Vd. XXI, No. 9 
CONCLUSIONS 
The phenomenon known as the souring of beef is a bacterial one. 
The organism responsible for the souring of beef is Bacillus megatherium. 
Bacillus megatherium will sour beef under a wide range of tempera¬ 
tures, but not in the absence of oxygen. 
In the souring of beef by Bacillus megatherium propionic acid is pro¬ 
duced. 
Bacillus megatherium is nonpathogenic for experimental animals 
(rabbits and guinea pigs) and does not produce an appreciable amount 
of toxin when propagated upon raw beef. 
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