252 



contamination at the dairy or in the handling of the milk by 

 persons that have been near diphtheria patients, or by keep- 

 ing the milk in or near rooms or houses where diphtheria 

 exists. 



Scarlet Fever may be transmitted by means of infected 

 milk. The real cause of this disease has not been discovered, 

 yet several epidemics of scarlet fever have been traced to 

 infected milk. Hart records fifteen epidemics of scarlet fever,, 

 with 800 cases, and Dr. Freeman gives twenty-six epidemics^ 

 with 1,593 cases : all of these forty-one epidemics were traced 

 to infected milk. It has been reported that cattle and horses 

 have scarlet fever, but this has been disputed by good author- 

 ities. No person or substances coming from a house where 

 scarlet fever exists should be permitted at or near a dairy; at 

 least such persons should never be allowed to work in a dairy.. 

 Neither should milk be placed in or near an infected bouse. 



Asiatic Cholera has been transmitted in India by means 

 of infected milk. Milk may become infected by the use of 

 infected water or by infected clothes of a dairy servant. The 

 comma bacillus can live and grow in milk until the milk 

 becomes distinctly acid. This germ is killed by heating for 

 ten minutes at 52 degrees C. or 125.6 degrees F. During 

 cholera epidemics the milk supply should be carefully 

 guarded, since it may be the means of spreading the disease. 



Epidemics of acute poisoning, throat troubles and footaod- 

 mouth disease have been reported as having been tiansmitted 

 by infected milk. It is also possible that cow-pox, yellow 

 fever and malarial fever may be transmitted by means of 

 infected milk. 



The most common and constant germ found in the manure 

 of cattle and other animals is the hacillns coli cortimiinisy 

 which closely resembles the typhoid bacillus. It, no doubt, 

 causes serious intestinal troubles (indigestion, diarrhea, etc.,) 

 among infants and children; consequently it is imperative 

 that every effort be made to prevent manurial infection of 

 milk. 



Milk may be put in condition to be kept sweet and whole- 

 some by various processes. The use of difUgs or chemical 



