THE EFFECT OF CERTAIN DAIRY OPERATIONS 

 UPON THE GERM CONTENT OF MILK * 



H. A. HARDING, G. L. RUEHLE, J. K. WILSON and G. A. SMITH. 



SUMMARY. 



i. There is great opportunity for economy in sanitary milk produc- 

 tion through the saving of useless labor. In order to be a guide in 

 this matter dairy studies must be on the basis of single dairy 

 processes. 



2. The protection of milk pails from accidental contamination after 

 they had been thoroughly steamed had a measurable effect in 

 reducing the germ content of the milk. 



3. The cleanliness of the interior of the stable, within a fairly wide 

 range, had no measurable effect upon the milk. 



4. Clipping the udder, flank and adjoining portions of the cow 

 slightly increased the germ content of the milk when the cow was 

 cleaned either by hand or with a vacuum cleaning machine. 



5. When cows were cleaned with a brush and comb at the rate of 

 two cows per minute the germ content of their milk was practically 

 the same as when the same cows were treated with a vacuum cleaner 

 at the rate of one cow per minute. 



6. When all of the utensils had been carefully steamed, cooling 

 and straining the milk resulted in only a small increase in germ con- 

 tent even when this was done under what would ordinarily be con- 

 sidered as rather unfavorable conditions. 



INTRODUCTION. 



When health officials, failing to find other means of characterizing 

 sanitary milk, undertook to specify the conditions under which it 

 should be produced they were confronted by an almost total lack of 

 detailed information upon this subject. This lack arose from the 

 fact that the available studies upon milk sanitation were in the nature 



* Reprint of Bulletin No. 365, August, 1013; for Popular Edition, see p. 763. 



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