Omaha daily bee., 1921-05-29
MAKING OYSTERS SAFER.

MAKING OYSTERS SAFER.
Thanks to a process recently tried
out by the New York state conserva-
| ton commission, we may shortly be
| eating oysters all the year round
with saftey and satisfaction. An old
rule arrived at in some slipshod way
was that oysters should not be eaten
in months in which there was no Il
in the name as spelled. This means
no oysters between May l and Sep
tember /.
| A close study Of the life of the
| oyster proved the general soundness
| OF the rule Of thumb edict. When
ever the temperature of the water
in which oysters live falls below As
! degrees Fahrenheit the oysters stop
eating. When the temperature ap-
proaches As degrees they eat little.
Therefore, oysters forked up dur
/ ing the cold weather have not been
eating for some time and have had
a chance to get rid of the typhoid
bacilli which they may have swal-
lowed during the warm weather.
The plan tried out in New York
harbor is to float oysters in a weak
chlorine water for Is hours before
marketing them. When this method
lOiloWCu oSotClo OCSoiiiC cdiC oih
the year round, provided they are
shipped cold and kept cold until sold,
and never are sold except when
fresh.
A more important gain still,
especially from the economic stand
point, Is that by employing this
method oysters can be grown In wa
ters now prohibited because of the
high degree of pollution.
In good feeding times an oyster
drinks about SO gallons Of water a
day. AS the water passes into the
interior the bacteria and organic
matter is filtered out and passes
down the oysters digestive tract.
Sand and other indigestible matter
Is thrown out violently.
In the experiment about 80 bush
els of oysters were "tonged up" and
loaded in an oyster floating scow,
being spread on the floor to a depth
Of about six inches. Intakes were
opened and sea water was taken in
until the water was about 10 incehs
deep. This meant about so gallons
Of water for each oyster. Enough
hypochlorite of lime was added to
the water to make strength of
about five parts per million free
chlorine.
The oysters did not like the taste |
Of this chlorine water, and in their !
efforts to spit it out they threw out
most of the bacteria, dirt, mud and |
other foreign matter.
At the end Of six hours the oysters
are given a second dose of chlorine |
water. They lie in this second water |
12 to IS hours. They are then |
washed off with clean, fresh sea wa
ter. They are then ready for market. |
The washing improves the appear |
ance of the oysters. Chlorinated !
washed oysters are white, clean and |
fat. 1t in no way affects the flavor |
unfavorably. The chlorine all goes |
to destroy organic matter, or If any |
is left it evaporates into the air.
q The number of bacteria in the oys-
ter is reduced 80 per cent. The skill |
required is in determining the |
strength Of the hypochlorite to be
used. 1t must be strong enough to
kill the bacteria but If too much
is used the oysters will not drink
it and the 'liquor" may taste like
chlorine.
DR.. Carmelia Of the United States
public health service, who had been |
detailed to watch this experiment,
thinks that eventually oyster grow
ers will treat all their oysters in this
way. just as practically all milk sold
in cities is pasteurized. He believes
this would improve the demand for
oysters as pasteurizing milk has
done for milk by increasing public
in the safety of the
product.
For Perspiring Feet.
D. L. r. writes: "What can do
for my feet, which perspire and have
a terrible odor?"
REPLY.
Battle your feet frequently and
well. After thorough cleaning and
drying, dust with the following:
Alum, 60 parts, talcum powder, 40
parts. y
Probably Coincidence.
Mother writes: "Will you kindly
tell me if it is possible for a child to
inherit a birthmark from it's father,
this mark being in the same place
as its parents?"
REPLY.
Birthmarks are not inherited, or
at least know of no evidence that
they are. I should say this is a case
Of coincidence.
Why They Eat Yeast.
c. ]. S. writes: "Why is it that
people have started to take yeast. as
am led to believe they do? What
IS it supposed to do for one? What .