Bacteriology of the Household. 729 



washed before being placed in the refrigerator. All bits of food should 

 be removed from the shelves and crevices, the refrigerator should be 

 often washed and scalded, and some antiseptic, as washing soda, used. 



The exposure of food both in the home and in the market to flying dust 

 is much to be condemned. While it may be difficult to coyer all the left- 

 overs and the food in process of preparation, one has only to think again 

 of dust and its dangers to realize that the surfaces of this food will catch 

 many flying particles and germs which we would rather not have made 

 a part of our diet. It merely means thoughtfulness on the part of the 

 housekeeper to correct some of the habits to which we have become 

 accustomed and habitually follow. Probably if the bread were not left 

 unprotected, the mouse would not have jumped in; but we can see the 

 mouse in time to avoid making him a part of our meal, whereas the 

 obnoxious germ is so small as to escape attention A table filled with 

 left-overs, waiting to be prepared for the next meal, is a veritable dust- 

 garden, and who knows what additions have been made to our diet? 



Uncov-ered meat and groceries delivered in an open wagon through the 

 dusty streets are not very clean when they reach the kitchen. Of course 

 sufficient heat applied to them may kill anything dangerous, but again 

 we are led to think that we do not want dirt in our food even though 

 the germs have been killed. Patronize a covered delivery wagon and a 

 grocery in which provisions are kept under cover in preference to those 

 in which the provisions are exposed to the air. This will pay in peace of 

 mind as well as in the safety of the food. 



Bacteria and Milk 



As milk is one of the most important food-stuffs, especially for children, 

 it is very important that every housewife understands something of the 

 effect cf bacteria upon it. Every one knows that milk contains a certain 

 number of bacteria. Some of these germs are in the udder itself, but 

 most of them get into the milk after it is drawn. Dirty cows, dirty barns 

 and stables, dirty hands and clothes of the milker, and dirty utensils all 

 contribute to increase the number of germs in the milk. (Bulletin 21, of 

 the Farmers' Reading-Course discusses this subject more fully.) If the 

 milk is not properly cooled and kept cold, then bacteria multiply and pro- 

 duce many changes in the milk that have often troubled the nurse and 

 the cook. 



The most common of these difficulties is the simple scouring or lactic 

 acid fermentation. In addition to this well-known process, there are a 

 number of other and more troublesome changes, such as the appearing; 

 of blue milk, bitter milk, slimy milk, tainted milk, and others,. 



