As regards the possibility of infection from the pumping pickle itself, it does not seem probable that this would often occur, for the pumping and curing pickles are always prepared on an upper floor of the pickling houses and are delivered to the pickle cellars in closed pipes, so the chances for the accidental contamination of these solutions from floating dust or dirt would not be great. Furthermore, the strong brine of the pumping pickle would completely inhibit the growth of the ham-souring bacillus, and the bacillus would be incapable of multiplying, even if it found its way into the pickle. On the other hand, laboratory experiments show that the bacillus or its spores may remain alive for a considerable length of time in the pumping pickle, so the possibility of infection from this source can not be overlooked. INFECTION FROM BILLHOOKS. After the hams are cut from the carcasses they are handled entirely by means of billhooks. In handling the hams the hooks are inserted beneath the skin of the shank at a point just above the tibio-femoral articulation. The hooks should be inserted in the connective tissue beneath the skin and should not penetrate the muscular tissue to any depth. When the hams lie in the right position, with the butt or large portion away from and the shank toward the operator, it is an easy matter to pick them up in the proper manner; but when they lie at different angles and are being rapidly handled it is almost impossible to prevent the hook from penetrating the muscular tissues, and if the hook should penetrate to the bone it might carry in foreign matter contaminated with the meat-souring bacillus. It is not probable that many hams become contaminated in this way, as the men who handle the hams are very skillful in manipulating their hooks; but the possibility that hams may become contaminated in this manner should not be entirely overlooked. BIOLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HAM-SOURING BACILLUS. CONDITIONS FAVORABLE TO GROWTH. The most favorable medium for the growth of the organism was found to be the modified egg-meat mixture of Rettger, which has been previously described. In this medium the organism develops rapidly at a temperature of 20° to 25° C., giving rise to the characteristic sour-meat odor. Like the bacillus described by Klein, it also grows readily on pork-agar and pork-bouillon containing glucose, but differs from Klein’s bacillus in that it will grow, though less luxuriantly, on ordinary nutrient media—agar, gelatin, and bouillon—without the addition of glucose.