EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 173 



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contamination with those germs which, if they once find their way into the milk, 

 are capable of setting up disease. What is true of tuberculosis is also true of 

 diphtheria, scarlet fever, and other diseases. These are facts, fully established, 

 and the significance of which is well known. 



Again, the milker should never come in contact with any one suffering from 

 an infectious disease, for he may be the means of conveying the germs and 

 thus cause a communicable disease to spread. Such instances are known, and 

 it is easily understood how this may be the case. We conclude, therefore, that 

 in order to have good, pure, wholesome milk, it is essential that the hands be 

 washed; that a clean outer suit of denim, duck, or something similar, be donned: 

 that freedom from disease exist, and that there be no communication with in- 

 fectious diseases of any kind. The milker must observe these strictures upon 

 his freedom, and should enter into their execution with zest if good results are 

 to be obtained. 



5. Milking Utensils. — Perhaps one of the most common sources of trouble, 

 although it is not usually admitted, is the polluted condition of the utensils 

 which are employed in the care of milk. Even in this civilized country, with 

 its accumulation of knowledge, there are many milk producers who do not yet 

 appreciate the fact that in order to have good milk it is essential to have clean 

 utensils. From 500.000 to 50,000,000 of germs have been counted in each gram 

 of dirt taken from the creases in a milk pail; while from its surface have been 

 taken many thousand per square inch. This should never occur in a clean 

 pail and one that is carefully cared for. Pure milk is impossible under such 

 conditions. 



It is not sufficient to wash out or rinse out a milk pail or any other milk 

 utensil with warm or cold water and a cloth only; a brush is necessary, and 

 it should be used with zeal and with a goodly amount of warm water at first; 

 then it should be followed by a wash with a solution of sal-soda or lime water, 

 or something akin, for the purpose of removing the fat. After this is done the' 

 utensil should be thoroughly rinsed with boiling water, then steamed, which 

 will have a tendency to kill all micro-organisms present. Such treatment is the 

 least to be done in cleaning milk uteiisils. If the milk producer does not believe 

 in the thorough cleansing and its effectiveness, let him add milk from a sample 

 lot. half of it to a dirty pail, and half of it to a properly cleansed pail, and 

 watch the results. He will convince himself by this simple act. 



A word might be said about the scientific significance of the sanitary milk 

 pail so commonly mentioned at the present time. It is true that, if filthy condi- 

 tions exist in the stable, also with the cow and milker, an open pail makes it 

 possible to collect much dirt and filth; and that, if the opening were reduced 

 in size, a certain amount of this filth would be eliminated. On the other hand, 

 if the stable is clean and free from dust, the cow properly kept, the milker clean 

 and tidy, and the pail sterile, the ordinary pail will give nearly as good practical 

 results as the sanitary pail. If filthy conditions exist, it were better to milk 

 through a pin-hole; but if proper conditions are established, one need not spend 

 his energy in trying to strike the hole of the pail. Thus far. sanitary milk pails 

 are not especially successful. This is true also of automatic milkers. Such 

 things cannot overcome the real cause of the disorder. Usually these attempts 

 amount to about the same as trying to cleanse the body by putting on a clean 

 garment. The appearance may be a little better, but the results are not very 

 satisfactory. If the pail is left open in a stable filled with dust, Marshall has 

 estimated that as many as 3.600,000 germs may fall into that pail during the 

 course of five minutes. In an ordinary room, free from dust, the number of 

 germs would be comparatively insignificant. 



6. Water Supply. — Water is a source of contamination too frequently over- 

 looked. Some years ago an opportunity was offered for analyzing several 

 samples of water, coming from dairies, creameries, and chee.se factories. It was 

 found that some of the samples furnished were veritable starters of an obnoxious 

 character, such, in fact, as would produce bad results in milk and butter or 

 cheese manufacture. Doubtless, therefore, if it were feasible to go throu.gh the 

 country and ascertain the exact condition of the water supplies, the analyses 

 would be more or less startling. 



Typhoid fever epidemics have been traced to water employed in the washing 

 and rinsing of dairy utensils. Other infections also have had such water supplies 



