DIRTY MILK 77 



the cleanliness -of its production, its age, and tempera- 

 ture. 



Legal standards. The first attempt to make a standard 

 for the bacteriological content of milk was undertaken by 

 the New York City Board of Health which, in 1900, be- 

 lieved it was not necessary for any milk sold in New York 

 to contain over 1,000,000 bacteria per cubic centimetre. 

 It was found, however, practically impossible to enforce 

 such a standard for the city of New York on account of 

 the complexity and enormous volume of the milk trade of 

 that city. The principal difficulty was to place the re- 

 sponsibility when the milk was found to contain an excess- 

 ive number of bacteria, for the product passes through so 

 many hands before it is delivered to the consumer. In 

 such a case it, therefore, becomes necessary to trace the 

 milk from the consumer to the farm, taking bacterial 

 counts at several points along the route. 



Boston, on the other hand, made a strict standard of 

 500,000 bacteria per cubic centimetre, which was legalized 

 by the Board of Health June 6, 1905, in article vi, section 1, 

 of the "Regulations for the Sale and Care of Milk." Ac- 

 cording to Jordan the adoption of a bacteriological stand- 

 ard by the Boston Board of Health was at first decried and 

 the subject of scoffing, but the example of that city has 

 since been followed by other municipalities, until now over 

 twenty cities are conducting bacteriological investigations 

 of their milk supplies. This outcome is fortunate, for from 

 multiplication of work of this character great progress may 

 be expected. 



Goler, the efficient health officer of the city of Rochester, 

 in 1907 issued a circular to all milk producers supplying 

 that city informing them that thereafter 100,000 bacteria 

 per cubic centimetre would be made a maximum standard. 



Bitter believes that no milk should be sold in cities, if it 

 contains more than 50,000 bacteria per cubic centimetre. 



Park states that any intelligent farmer can use sufficient 



