Co-operation of Officials. 207 



opinion to the reports of the inspectors, the full report, with the result of the researches, 

 being transmitted through the official control station to the magistrate, who, depending 

 on the case, transmits the material to the proper courts. 



The separation of the laboratories into a chemical and a bacteriological division 

 has already been briefly mentioned. The chemical division examines for simple and 

 combined adulteration by the addition of water, removing of the cream, or both, by 

 establishing the specific gravity, the fat contents, calculating the amount of total 

 solids, and the fat-free solid content, determining the refraction index of the milk 

 serum by the nitrate test, testing for the degree of acidity and testing for other 

 chemical adulterations. The bacteriological division examines as to fitness for eon- 

 sumption by establishing the purity, odor, taste, consistence, age and freshness, the 

 raw condition, intermixing with secretion of animals with affected udders, etc. The 

 procedures of each division are kept separate as much as possible, and this separation 

 of the divisions has proven of splendid advantage. Co-operation between these divisions 

 when the work overlaps, and mutual support aid in the success. 



Owing to the activity of the official milk control station it was 

 soon noticed that marked adulterations had become very rare, 

 and that objections and condemnations on account of gross con- 

 tamination were reduced to a minimum. Considerable objection 

 still exists relative to the transportation cans which are frequently 

 used in a most insanitary condition. The regulations relative to 

 the proper closing of the cans are now almost uniformly observed. 

 The acid content of the milk is only exceptionally increased by 

 fermentation, and the spoiled milk originates usually from milk 

 collecting establishments and cheese factories, whereas individual 

 producers as a rule supply fresh milk. The increased degree of 

 acidity is traced in most instances to improper cooling, dirty trans- 

 portation cans, mixing of fresh and old milk and adulteration with 

 skimmed milk. Preserving agents scarcely ever come into con- 

 sideration in Munich. 



It is to be regretted, however, that the limits of milk control 

 activities have apparently been attained, in so far as they concern 

 the testing of milk ready for consumption. Nevertheless, attempts 

 have been made by extending the control to the stable and to the 

 producing animal in order to further improve the milk supply. In 

 certain cases good results have been obtained through giving in- 

 structions and warnings as to the requirements, or at least in ad- 

 vising the adoption of all precautions which are possible in prac- 

 tice, for instance in the streptococcic mastitis question, which this 

 city was first to take up on practical lines on a large scale. The 

 results attained are by no means to be underestimated, but while 

 there is no doubt that with the hard battles considerable results 

 have been obtained for the moment among a small percentage of 

 the producers, still no one can offer a guarantee that even on the 

 morrow the same conditions will not prevail as formerly, and in 

 this lies the insufficiency of market milk control and of the system 

 of taking samples from time to time. In the future other measures 

 will have to be given consideration in sanitary milk inspection, if 

 it is desired that conditions which are frequently intolerable, and 

 which prevail at present in the milk industry, should be eliminated. 



A guarantee of good and harmless quality for market milk 



