THE MILK SITUATION IN THE DISTBICT OF COLUMBIA. 53 



The only way to prevent these epidemics entirely would appear to be to 

 pasteurize or sterilize the milk, either at the dairy before delivery to the con- 

 sumer or in the household after delivery. 



In reporting milk epidemics, some of the points of special interest are the 

 following : 



1. The number of cases of the disease existing in the involved territory during 

 the time covered by the epidemic. 



2. The number of houses invaded by the disease. 



3. The number of invaded houses supplied in whole or in part, directly or in- 

 directly, by the suspected milk. 



4. The number of cases occurring in invaded houses so supplied. 



5. The number of houses supplied with the suspected milk. 



6. The relative proportion of houses so supplied to those supplied by other 

 dairies. 



7. The time covered by the epidemic. 



8. The location of the case or cases from which the milk became contam- 

 inated. 



9. The relation of the original case to the milk. 



10. The time relation of the original case to the epidemic. 



11. The special incidence of the disease among milk drinkers. 



12. The elimination of other common carriers of infection. 



13. The effect upon the epidemic of closing the dairy or taking such measures 

 as will eliminate possibility of milk contamination from the suspected focus. 



14. The finding of the specific organism in the milk. 



RESTRICTION ON MILK FURNISHED EMPLOYEES OF EXECUTIVE 



DEPARTMENTS. 



The Secretary of Agriculture, under date of October 14, 1910, 

 issued a special order to the bureaus, offices, and divisions of the 

 department located in Washington (Appendix Y), enjoining the sale 

 of milk within any building occupied by the department, not con- 

 forming to the requirements of the classification defined in Circular 

 No. 114 of the Bureau of Animal Industry. After specifying the 

 three grades of milk, namely, certified, inspected, and pasteurized, 

 embodied in the recommendations of the Washington milk conference 

 of 1907 on the suggestion of Dr. A. D. Melvin, the order stipulates 

 that the milk must come from healthy cows properly fed; that are 

 neither about to calve nor have recently calved; that it be drawn in 

 a cleanly manner and promptly cooled; that all persons engaged in 

 handling it be free from communicable diseases and of cleanly habits ; 

 that all receptacles into which it passes and all utensils and apparatus 

 used in handling it be perfectly clean ; and that, after having been 

 promptly cooled, the milk be kept cool until delivered to the consumer. 



This order was issued with the express purpose of precluding the 

 sale within the buildings occupied by the department of (1) milk 

 containing extraneous matter, (2) raw milk irom cows not known 

 to be free from tuberculosis, and (3) milk of unknown origin, unless 

 pasteurized. 



Following the initiative of the Department of Agriculture, orders 

 have been issued by the Departments of State, War, Navy, Interior, 

 and Commerce and Labor, requiring milk sold in buildings in Wash- 

 ington City under their respective jurisdictions to conform to the 

 classification recommended by the Washington milk conference as 

 defined in Circular No. 114 of the Bureau of Animal Industry. 

 Copies of these orders are annexed. (Appendix Y.) Inquiry by 

 the committee developed the fact that the Treasury Department has 

 not promulgated such an order up to the present time; that the Post 

 Office Department has issued none on the subject, " the department 



