ter to taste "flat" or insipid, a result of tlie loss of the ab- 

 sorbed air, oxygen and nitrogen and possibly a little carbon- 

 ic acid gas, which is usually found in well water. The ster- 

 ilization of drinking water is a most valuable aid in prevent- 

 ing tyj)hoid fever, cholera, yellow fever, malarial fever and 

 indigestion. The infected water supply was the source of 

 the cholera outbreak at Hamburg in 1892. Infected wells 

 have been the cause of many cases of typhoid fever. It is 

 also very probable that impure water plays an important 

 jiart in the production of malarial fevers. Moreover, it is 

 almost certain that impure water and non-sterilized milk 

 are the primar}^ cause of "summer comj^laint" in children, 

 and infectious diarrhea and dysentery in older persons. 



It matters not how scrupulously clean and careful the 

 milkmen may be, the milk will become contaminated, more 

 or less, by germs from the air and other sources. Conse- 

 quently, Avere the cow perfectly healthy, and the milk to 

 flow from the udder free from microbes, before it reaches 

 the consumer, especially in the cities, it is sufficiently infect- 

 ed with bacteria to interfere with its taste, its digestive and 

 nutritive value. 



At present it is an open question as to which is the more 

 healthful for the infant, mother's milk or properly sterilized 

 cow's milk. Recently, in European countries extensive ex- 

 aminations of mother's milk have been made and in the ma- 

 jority of instances women's milk was found to contain mi- 

 crobes. This was more especially true when the mother 

 was not perfectly healthy. Some investigators are inclined 

 to believe that the germs entered the milk from the blood, 

 while others are of the opinion that the microbes came from 

 the skin over the nipple. This question, however, requires 

 further investigation before any relatively true conclusions 

 can be drawn. 



DESCEIPTION OF STERILIZE!!. 



Figure C represents the sterilizing vessel, made of tin, 

 copper or galvanized iron, with the milk or Avater bottles in 

 position. This vessel, for 4 to 6 bottles, is 9 inches in diam- 



