404 Bulletin 165. 



through the strainer did not become ropy. A quantity of sterile 

 milk was inoculated with some of the water in use in the 

 creamery, but the resulting changes did not indicate the presence 

 of Bacillus lactis viscosus in the water. Had the results of 

 Adametz's investigations been known to the writer at this time, 

 a more extended examination would have been made of the water 

 supply in both creameries. 



The stud}' of the conditions prevailing in the two creameries 

 and the two dairies, indicated that a more thorough scalding of 

 utensils would afiford relief. It was suggested that the smaller 

 utensils be totally immersed in boiling water for three minutes 

 and that the larger cans be filled to the brim with boiling water 

 for a like length of time. The suggestion was adopted and 

 immediatel}' brought the trouble to an end. 



There were certain features connected with the outbreak which 

 cast about it a shadow of mystery and discouraged efforts to 

 locate the source. The two dealers consulted had purchased 

 milk from all of the available dairies in the vicinit}'- in an effort 

 to suppl}' the customers with faultless milk. Their lack of 

 success is not surprising considering that the milk was dealt out 

 from infected cans. From the standpoint of the consumer, the 

 apparent wide distribution of the fault among the several dealers 

 of the community was discouraging. A repetition of the occur- 

 rence of ropiness in milk obtained from any one dealer, generally 

 caused the customer to patronize a rival dealer. Very frequently 

 the change failed to prevent a recurrence of the trouble in the 

 customer's milk vessel. Once infected, the milk pail or cream 

 pitcher may harbor Bacillus lactis viscosus indefinitely, since 

 thorough scalding is not a prominent feature in kitchen dish 

 washing. Undoubtedly in this and in many other cases of a sim- 

 ilar nature the consumer has unintentionally wrought great 

 injustice upon innocent dealers by too hastily condemning the 

 milk furnished when the true cause was careless dish washing. 

 The importance of scalding vessels which have once contained 

 ropy milk or cream cannot be too strongly emphasized. 



The source from which Bacillus lactis viscosus originally reached 

 the milk cans in the outbreaks studied is not known. Adametz 

 has shown that its natural habitat in Austria is water. Assum- 



