264 BACTERIA IN MILK AND THEIR SOURCES 



these conditions prevail, especially if the water used for 

 washing the cans and other utensils is also impure. 



The cows should be regularly groomed between the milk- 

 ing hours, all pieces of dung and loose hair being brushed 

 off their udders, flanks, and haunches. Just before milk- 

 ing, the udders should be washed with tepid boiled 

 water and wiped with a clean boiled cloth ; the use of 

 dirty cloths which have been allowed to lie about for 

 sometime must be prevented. 



The milkers should put on clean overalls and be 

 compelled to wash their hands before milking. On 

 no account should the filthy habit of " wet milking " be 

 tolerated ; the dipping of the hands into the fresh milk 

 is a disgusting practice likely to lead to serious disease, 

 and cannot be too strongly condemned. 



The rejection of the first few jets from the teats, 

 and the early removal of the milk from the cowshed to 

 a clean cool place free from dust and away from the 

 manure heap, greatly assist in keeping down the 

 bacterical content. 



Since dust and dirt are the chief carriers of bacteria 

 every effort should be made to reduce these to a 

 minimum. From the pail the milk should be passed 

 through closely woven linen fabric or cotton wool 

 strainers to take out all the larger particles of dung, straw, 

 hair, and other materials which fall into it. The cow- 

 sheds should be white-washed at least twice a year, and 

 the floors must be kept clean. The dung should be 

 taken out as soon as possible and adequate means 

 provided for the draining away of urine. 



The brushing out of the stalls and the feeding of the 

 cows with hay or dusty fodder should take place after 

 milking not just before so as to avoid filling the air 



