340 CITY MILK SUPPLY 



posure to the dust of the street and the dirty hands of the driver; and 

 that the mode of delivery was time-consuming and therefore expensive. 



The contamination of milk in the course of delivery was studied by 

 Way in Cleveland, Ohio, in November and December, 1906. He found 

 that in the average of 40 samples from seven different dealers the "dip" 

 milk contained an average of 37 per cent, more bacteria than the bottled 

 milk; that the "dip" milk contained the greater number of bacteria in 

 77.5 per cent, of the samples; that 16 samples of the "dip" milk were 

 over 50 per cent, and eight over 300 per cent, higher than the correspond- 

 ing bottled sample; that the bottled milk contained the greater number 

 of bacteria in 22.5 per cent, of the samples and of these but three were 

 over 50 per cent, higher than the "dip," the highest of them being 237.6 

 per cent. 



Dry weather with a stiff breeze during delivery usually resulted in an 

 increase of several hundred per cent, in the bacterial content of the " dip " 

 milk over that same milk served in bottles. 



In small communities where the production and sale of milk is virtu- 

 ally uncontrolled, the delivery of milk by the dip method is usual. De- 

 spite the fact that delivery of milk in the bottle is now regarded as the 

 best way to handle it, the method was slow in winning public approval. 

 Customers were in the habit of getting their milk from cans and were 

 loth to change. Both dealers and customers looked on the delivery of 

 milk in glass as likely to be prohibitively expensive and the tidy house- 

 wife was not inclined to admit to her home glassware that circulated 

 promiscuously about the city. Moreover, the milk bottle in time proved 

 itself to be an occasional vehicle of contagion. However, in this respect 

 it was found on the whole to be no more dangerous than the dip method 

 of delivery and it was found that the danger from infected bottles could 

 be very successfully controlled by a provision in the health code requiring 

 the daily sterilization of milk bottles. Slowly and surely the bottles 

 forced out the dip method of delivery. They have the advantages that 

 the dealer can show the customers the cream line and that there is no 

 sediment in the milk; they make an attractive package and are convenient 

 to handle both on the route and in the homes. 



In our large cities the delivery of dip milk has almost ceased and in 

 many of them is forbidden by law. However, the delivery of milk in 

 bulk in cans, to hospitals, school lunch rooms, various public institutions 

 and to stores is often permitted. This is usually a concession to the con- 

 venience of the user or to enable him to get milk more cheaply and should 

 be granted only with the understanding that conditions attending the 

 delivery and storage of milk will receive frequent and strict inspection. 



In places where the milk is delivered in bottles the filling of bottles 

 on the route should be forbidden. It is impossible to fill them on the 

 streets in a cleanly manner and without exposing the milk to contamina- 



