42 Agricultural Bacteriology. 



mission of the disease to stock as none of the domestic 

 animals acquire typhoid fever. 



The tubercle germ can not grow in milk, when drawn 

 from the animal ; the typhoid bacillus on the other hand 

 is able to grow in it at ordinary temperatures. Only a 

 drop of polluted water or the most minute particle of 

 matter containing typhoid bacteria is necessary to seed 

 the milk. Because of the growth of the bacilli, the 

 milk may contain large numbers of them by the time 

 it, reaches the consumer. 



The diphtheria bacillus grows in the throat and in 

 the nasal passages of the affected person. The only 

 way in which it can reach the milk is through the me- 

 dium of the nurse, whose hands may have become con- 

 taminated or from the patient after recovery, for un- 

 fortunately recovery does not mean that the diphtheria 

 bacillus has disappeared entirely from the throat and 

 nasal passages. They may persist there for months. 

 The diphtheria bacillus like the typhoid organism can 

 grow in milk at ordinary temperatures. The milk 

 from farms on which diphtheria is present should not 

 be sent to the city market. The same rules relative 

 to the patient should be enforced as with typhoid fever. 



Scarlet fever is also spread by milk and the same 

 precautions should be observed as in the case of the 

 diseases previously mentioned. 



Intestinal troubles caused by milk. During the sum- 

 mer months the death-rate amongst milk-fed children 

 in the cities is very high. This is due, in a large 

 measure, to the intestinal troubles that are occasioned 

 by improper food. Milk on account of its quick per- 

 ishability is especially liable to produce troubles of 

 this sort. The death-rate of children is greatest among 



