BACTERIA COMMONLY FOUND IN COWS* MILK. 87 



for an hour in the rather warm laboratory the sample was 

 found to contain considerably over 100,000 organisms per 

 cubic centimeter. From a filthy and dark cow stable, 

 spoken of more in detail in Chapter V, a sample of milk 

 came which three-fourths of an hour after milking showed 

 not less than about 670,000 bacteria per cc. The bac- 

 terial content of three samples of milk taken on three 

 consecutive days from this stable, did not vary much, 

 the analyses showing the following average figures per 

 cc. : 730,000, 560,000, and 780,000. The most infected milk 

 ever analyzed by me was from a milk store in Wiesbaden 

 (Germany). Its age and the treatment to which it had 

 been subjected could not be ascertained. It was sold as 

 fresh new milk, did not taste sour, but had a decided " off " 

 flavor; on analysis it was found to contain an immense 

 number of bacteria, according to a low estimate several 

 tens of millions per cubic centimeter. Any exact figures 

 in this analysis could not be obtained by the methods then 

 at my disposal.* 



* The influence of the season on the bacterial content of milk is 

 illustrated by the data furnished by Dr. Russell as given on p. 92, 

 foot-note. 



The weather doubtless also greatly influences the number of bac- 

 teria found in milk. Dr. Russell has kindly furnished me with the 

 following illustration : The milk of one of the patrons at the Wis- 

 consin University Creamery was examined in May 1894, on two 

 succeeding days, the sampling being done at the same time both days; 

 it contained 1,150,000 and 48,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter, on 

 an average, during the two days. The first day was very warm, 

 while the second was cold and rainy. 



The milk contained seven to ten different species of bacteria ; slimy 

 organisms were isolated in large numbers ; hay bacillus was quite 

 numerous, and pitted liquefiers very numerous in the sample. W. 



