FROM THE PRACTICAL VIEWPOINT 



should be remembered that we are not dealing 

 with laboratory conditions, and that therefore ab- 

 solute sterility is not necessary, however desirable 

 it may be from a theoretical standpoint. Our milk 

 itself is not sterile, and if we can be assured that 

 the containers are sufficiently clean so that they 

 will not add any appreciable amount of bacteria to 

 the milk, and that those which may be added are 

 not of a pathogenic character, then health authori- 

 ties should be satisfied. Remembering that a quart 

 of milk contains about one liter of fluid, or 1,000 

 cubic centimeters, it seems reasonable to allow the 

 washed bottles to contain 1,000 bacteria. This 

 would add but one bacterium to each c.c. of milk 

 contained in the filled bottle. In like manner, 

 40,000 bacteria in a washed can might add the 

 same amount of bacterial contamination to the 

 forty quarts of milk contained in the filled can. 

 If none of these were of the coli group, it is proba- 

 ble that no danger would result. As a matter of 

 fact, with methods of cleansing which may be easily 

 secured, the bacterial content of the containers will 

 be much less than the allowable amount above re- 

 ferred to. 



175 



