The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-05
To Auoid Botutlisnr
By H. ADDfNGTON BRUCE

Timely indeed is the warning issued to housewives by the United States department of agriculture relative to the importance of canning their summer surplus of fruits and vegetables by the "hot pack" rather than the ''cold pack" method.
 Experience has taught with increasing ire Quency the past few years that in home canned foodstuffs put up by the latter meth cd there may turk the dire peril of botulinus poisoning. This applies particularly to such foods as string beans, spinach and other or dinary garden vegetables.
 If the soil of the garden in which these are grown is tainted with the botulinus germ, the vegetables themselves are only too likely to be infected with it. Then, unless there is a pre-cooking for canning purposes, the germs will develop in the canned goods, to bring death to those who eat them, perhaps to those who merely taste them.
 How potent the botulinus germ may be as a destroyer of human life is evihced by the long record of fatal poisonings now known to be due to it. Whole families have been plotted out by eating at a single meal a comparatively small amount of botulinusl carrying food. 'ss In one instance, occurring last spring at Albany, Oregon, twelve members of three families ate a noon meal together. Among the food served was salad of home canned string beans.
 E, To all appearance these had not spoiled in the least Odor and taste and color were normal. At least three of the persons at the table took only a minute quantity of the beans, anl only seven ate them at all freely. Yet of the twelve who sat down to the meal, twelve died.
 Later, examination of the soil of the gar Nyba ,e some withered stalks and pods still in the garden, left no doubt that botulism from the canned beans was the cause of death.
 Some authorities on .botulinus poisoning in fact, insist that whatever the method of canning, there should always be thorough relocating of canned vegetables just before they are served. Others believe that the danger of poisoning will be sufficiently min imized if the goods canned are subjected to a strong heat at the time of the canning. s
 The specific recommendation of the depart ment of agriculture is that all canned ma- terial be given pre-cOoking and then placed in the cans or jars while it still is very hot. The pre-cooking will cause some shrinkage, but by including in the canning the hot liquid that has been cooked out, there will be no loss in food value.
 Also it is recommended that the pressure canner pc used TOT all VegetaDles except Coma- toes. Fruits and tomatoes are more resistant to botulinus infection than beans, spinach and other vegetables Hence, in the depart ment's opinion, they may safely be canned in the ordinary way, if the cans are filled with hot juice or syrup.
 As final safety first" precaution, it may we'll be also urged that.sno matter how fruits or vegetables are canned, any sign of spelling perceptible when a jar is opened should be regarded as a warning for destruction of the contents of that jar.
 And the destruction should be actual, not mere throwing away of the contents where chickens or small animals may eat them.