io8 MILK [vi 



to any extent its colour, its chemical composition, 

 and the state of division of its fatty globules. Un- 

 fortunately, milk of this description that is, free 

 from spores of a very resistant nature is of rare 

 occurrence in ordinary practice. As a rule, milk will 

 be found to contain a number of resistant spores, 

 which enter it owing to careless handling. 



Unfortunately the 'bacterium suUilis (hay bacillus), 

 a bacterium possessing most resistant spores, is one of 

 the most common in the dust of the~ byre. Another 

 source whence resistant spores are apt to enter milk 

 is the proximity of fermenting foods kept in the 

 neighbourhood of the byre : such a food, for example, 

 as silage. It may be added that the pasteurisation of 

 milk is calculated to do much to reduce the spread 

 of disease among infants, whose sole food is milk. 

 As exemplifying this, it has been claimed that the 

 introduction of pasteurised milk among the poor 

 people of New York has been instrumental in greatly 

 reducing infant mortality during the hot summer 

 months. It is important also to point out that 

 pasteurisation has no injurious effect on milk in- 

 tended for butter-making purposes. No difficulty is 

 experienced in obtaining the required texture and 

 grain of the butter. The relative digestibility of 

 sterilised as well as pasteurised milk, as compared 

 with ordinary milk, is a question which has been 

 much debated. It seems to be highly probable, 



