THE NUMBER OF GERMS WE EAT
Dr. Kellogg of Battle Creek has lately made public the results of a carefully conducted series of observations made by Dr. A. W. Nelson, bacteriologist of the clinical laboratory of the Battle Creek Sanitarium. Various specimens of meat were purchased in the ordinary way in the market, wrapped in clean paper, and immediately taken to the laboratory, where samples were removed for observation under the microscope. The meat was then taken to the diet kitchen and well cooked, after which cultures were again made.
The germs found in meat are classed as aerobes and anaerobes. The aerobes are for the most part acid-forming germs, and comparatively harmless. But the anaerobes are poison-forming germs, and are the agents of putrefaction and of various diseases. They are to-day considered as the most potent causes of many chronic maladies, and especially of that most common of diseases, intestinal autointoxication.
Dr. Nelson found that in one specimen of raw beef, there were present per moist gram of material 105,000 aerobes and 90,000 anaerobes. On the outside of the beef after it had been fried, there were no germs present, but on the inside of the fried beef, he found 3000 aerobes and 2000 anaerobes per gram. With three other specimens of beef, that were broiled, and boiled, and roasted, respectively, the results were generally similar. Of all modes of cooking, roasting seems to have least effect upon the bacteria, for in specimen No. 3, while there were fewer bacteria than in specimen No. 1 before cooking, there were found after it had been well roasted 150,000 aerobes and 160,000 anaerobes.
In fresh fish raw there were found 870,000 anaerobes per gram; in sardines in oil, 14,000,000; while in codfish that had been soaked to remove the salt, there were found 47,600,000. In another experiment specimens of meat were secured such as were served on the dining tables of one of the prominent city hotels, and taken at once to the laboratory, where without delay bacterial cultures were made. A specimen of sirloin steak was found to contain 378,000,000 anaerobes per gram of moist material.
An interesting experiment which showed the increase of anaerobes or poison-forming germs in dead flesh, was that made with two chickens of equal size, one of which was drawn, and the other undrawn. Both were placed under the same conditions in a room the temperature of which was maintained at 70° Fahrenheit. Bacterial cultures were made at frequent intervals, with results as given in the following table, the figures showing the number of bacteria per gram of moist material.
| No. 11 Aerobes | Drawn Anaerobes | No. 12 Aerobes | Not Drawn Anaerobes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hrs after death | 4,500 | 5,650 | 5,000 | 6,500 |
| 2d day | 8,500 | 9,000 | 10,000 | 12,000 |
| 3d day | 17,000 | 16,000 | 60,000 | 20,000 |
It must be remembered that these chickens were freshly killed, and that the anaerobes had no such opportunity to increase as in ordinary market beefs.
Specimens of several other kinds of meat were purchased in the market, and at once taken to the laboratory for study. Cultures were made immediately on reaching the laboratory, and again after the meat had been allowed to stand (covered) at room temperature for twenty hours. The following table shows the results of the bacterial counts:
Bacteria Per Gram (Moist)
Immediately after purchase
| Specimen | Aerobes | Anaerobes |
|---|---|---|
| No. 13 Large sausage | 560,000,000 | 420,000,000 |
| No. 14 Small sausage | 834,400,000 | 663,000,000 |
| No. 15 Round steak | 420,000,000 | 560,000,000 |
| No. 16 Roast beef | 252,000,000 | 560,000,000 |
| No. 17 Smoked ham | 47,320,000 | 43,120,000 |
| No. 18 Hamburger steak | 138,000,000 | 129,000,000 |
| No. 19 Pork | 635,600,000 | 126,040,000 |
| No. 20 Porterhouse steak | 31,920,000 | 30,800,000 |
After being kept at room temperature for twenty hours.
| Specimen | Aerobes | Anaerobes |
|---|---|---|
| No. 13 Large sausage | 770,000,000 | 490,000,000 |
| No. 14 Small sausage | 770,000,000 | 640,400,000 |
| No. 15 Round steak | 750,000,000 | 840,000,000 |
| No. 16 Roast beef | 728,000,000 | 750,000,000 |
| No. 17 Smoked ham | 616,000,000 | 750,000,000 |
| No. 18 Hamburger steak | 784,000,000 | 700,000,000 |
| No. 19 Pork | 952,000,000 | 1,036,000,000 |
| No. 20 Porterhouse steak | 336,000,000 | 700,000,000 |
These experiments were made in the winter time, when, because of the diminished amount of dust in the air, germs are less abundant. Even in the winter time, however, certain meat products simply swarm with germs. A specimen of raw liver examined in January was found to contain 269,800,000 bacteria per ounce or gram. Raw sausage contained 48,280,000 bacteria per ounce or gram.
“A food which introduces these deadly organisms, the anaerobes, at the rate of ten to twenty-five billions to the ounce, as do pork, beef and sausage, must certainly be classed as unclean,” said Dr. Kellogg, in summing up the report on his experiments. “When thousands are daily indulging themselves in this dietary, what wonder that Bright’s disease, enteritis, and other maladies due to germs and germ poisons are so rife and so rapidly increasing? It is quite as important to keep the inside of the body in a sweet, clean and wholesome condition as to maintain a wholesome state of the external portion of the body.”