96 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



ducted on a high plane and aim to furnish none but the most whole- 

 some milk. So many farmers are now dependent upon the milk 

 market for their income that anvthinj;- that affects this market 

 deleteriousl\-, has far-reaching importance. 



While the greater part of the market milk that is produced is of 

 good quality, unadulterated and w^holesome, it occurs, every now 

 and then, as undesirable conditions occur in other businesses, that 

 milk that is not desirable or safe for use as food, is delivered to 

 customers. Some of the undesirable qualities of milk accrue in 

 the household of the consumer, others at the hands of the dealer, 

 others during transportation, and still others at the seat of produc- 

 tion. 



In order that milk may be good, it is necessary that it shall be 

 produced under proper conditions, and that it shall be handled prop- 

 erly at every step on its way to the consumer's table. It is neces- 

 sary, first of all, that the cows furnishing the milk shall be in a 

 condition of health. Milk is harmed not only by the existence of 

 tuberculosis and all other constitutional or infectious diseases, but 

 also by local diseases of the udder. Microscopic examination has 

 shown that a considerable proportion of cows furnish milk contain- 

 ing j)us cells and strepticocci. These elements and organisms show 

 that the udder is, or has been, the seat of a purulent inflammation. 

 Sanitarians consider that milk of this description is unwholesome 

 and should not be used. This means that it is necessary to exclude 

 from milk production, cows with garget or with other evidence of 

 inflammation of the udder. Generally, this is done, but through 

 lack of attention, it is sometimes overlooked with the result that 

 the milk is contaminated and the consumer is injured. Another 

 important factor in the production of wholesome milk, and perhaps 

 the most important factor of all, is cleanliness — cleanliness in rela- 

 tion to the cows, cleanliness of the stable, cleanliness of the utensils 

 and of the milk<n'. Some cows are so kept, and some premises are 

 so constructed and maintained, that the production of clean milk is 

 quite out of the question. The harm that conu'S from the use of 

 dirty milk is believed to be very great, and no one has a right to sell 

 it. 



The importance of a pure water sup])ly on dairy farms is some- 

 times overlooked and wilh dangerous resulis, as was clearly shown 

 by a recent incident in connection wilh the milk supj)ly of Philadel- 

 ]ihia. A large number of people became afflicted with typhoid fever 

 in two of the wards in the southern pari of llie city. At that time 

 there was so little typhoid fever in other parts of these particular 

 wards, where the water suy)ply was th(» same, that the attention 

 of the health aulhorilies was drawn to tliis unusual distribution 

 of the disease. Investigation showed thai practically all of the 



