Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-07
BACTERIA IN LOBSTER CANS.
A Trouble That Has Threatened an L
portant Trade Revealed.

A Trouble That Has Threatened an Inn
portant Trade Revealed.
The lobster Gamers in this country are
alarmed by the appearance Of a trouble which
seriously threatens their trade. Goods of their
production are being sent back from England
and France by dealers with complaints to the
effect that they are bad. The specimens re-
turned exhibit slate-colored streaks through the
mea:, which are seemingly evidences of de-
composition. More importan. STILL it is alleged
by consignees abroad that customers have been
mado seriously ill by eating the lobster thus
affected. Accordingly the Gamers have APP
pealed for helpful information to the fish COM
mission at Washington.
1t is not likely that the fish commission could
have discovered the trouble; but it CHANGED, so
| STAR reporter learned. tina. some of the
affected lobster came under the eve of the ex-
pert bacteriologist of the Army Medical Mu-
scum here, Or. William Gray. He took a tube
with sterilized gela:ine preparation in it and
dropped upon the gela.ine two or three minute
| specks of the slate-colored tissue Within
.wenty-four hours the surface of the gelatine
was found to be covered with 4 white patch as
big as a dime, developed from the specks Of
lobster.
That solved the problem. The trouble was
caused by bacteria-those minute vegetable
organisms which are everywhere. most of them
beneficial, though a few, like the bacilli that
cause consumption, are injurious. Bacteria
effect, by preying upon tissues which nature
desires to dispose of, al the phenomena of
what is called decomposition. They attack the
lobster and cause it to rot, thus producing the
slate-colored streaks of matter partially de-
cayed.
If this meets the eyes Of the Gamers they
will learn for the first time Of the nature Of
their difficulty, which hitherto they have not
dreamed of. Communication is to be made to
them on the subject not only of the cause of
the trouble but of the cure for it. The latter is
happily, most simple and easy. 81. :
THE CURE FOR THE TROUBLE. rs
In preparing the lobster for shipment they
boil the cans for twenty minutes at one time.
Instead Of doing this let them boil them for
ten minutes one day and for another ten min
utes the next day and there will be no further
Inconvenience OF the sort. These bacteria are
OF kind that pu. ont spores, do tho bacilli
Of consumption. The first boiling kills the
adults, but not the Spores which are less sensi-
tive. Twenty-four hours later the spores have
themselves grown to be adults, and they pro-
lobster. But. if the boiling Is repeated on the
second day, the newly grown bacteria are all
killed before they have had time to reproduce
their species. If it is desired to make assurance
doubly sure let the boiling process be repeated
once more for ten minutes on the third day,
and that will settle the question. Thus q
threat to an importan. American industry is
to be easily done away with.
This discovery has given rise to a surmise as
to the cause Of the not infrequent cases of
illness, sometimes resulting fatally after eating
lobster. The matter is to be promptly inyesti-
gated with a promise of results that are likely
to be most interesting.