FROM FARM TO CONSUMER 251 



in the sense that dust and dirt particles will not fall into the 

 milk. The long hair on the udder and surrounding parts 

 should be clipped, but not the bush on the tail. The tail 

 must not touch the floor during milking. In some dairies 

 the tail is tied up during milking. Just before milking the 

 udder and surrounding parts should be thoroughly washed 

 with clean, warm water and clean cloths and then wiped 

 with a clean cloth, tightly wrung out and used only for the 

 udder. Antiseptics may be used, but they must be thor- 

 oughly removed with clean water so that they will not get 

 into the milk. 



The process of milking has come to resemble a surgi- 

 cal operation so far as antiseptic methods are concerned. 

 As in antiseptic surgery, success can only be achieved 

 through cleanliness and scrupulous attention to minute 

 details and an intelligent understanding of the problem. 

 So it is with milking. 



Clean milk can only be obtained by the same methods 

 the surgeon uses to perform a clean operation. The princi- 

 ples and the technic are precisely alike. I could imagine no 

 better training for a milkman than an apprenticeship of 

 a few months in a surgical clinic where aseptic methods 

 may be learned. It is no exaggeration to compare the oper- 

 ation of milking the cow to a surgical operation. 



Those who milk cows should be taught to keep their fin- 

 gers away from their mouth and nose at all times, especially 

 after the hands have been washed and prepared. Just be- 

 fore milking, the hands should be thoroughly cleaned, using 

 soap, a brush and warm water. They must then be thor- 

 oughly dried upon a clean towel. In some dairies antiseptics 

 are used in cleaning the hands. After the hands are cleaned 

 and dried, the milkman must be taught to remember that 

 he should touch only three objects : (1) the top of the milk 

 stool, (2) the milking-pail, and (3) the cow's teats. It is 

 difficult for many men to remember this, but by persistence 

 it soon becomes a matter of habit. This is one of the ad- 



