THE MILK SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. HI 



mittee that, with reasonable precautions, it is feasible to maintain 

 an average content of 20,000 to 50,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter 

 for raw milk, and the insistence, therefore, that raw milk delivered 

 for consumption in our own community should contain not more 

 than 500,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter is, in the opinion of the 

 committee, a reasonable requirement and calculated to have an im- 

 portant influence in protecting the consumer from uncleanly and un- 

 wholesome milk. 



This requirement as to number of bacteria per cubic centimeter 

 applies, of course, to market milk, certified milk for infant feeding 

 and other clinical purposes being obviously restricted to a much 

 lower maximum, the standard established by Dr. Henry L. Coit, 

 namely, 10,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter, being regarded by 

 almost unanimous consent as the best for the latter purposes. The 

 committee coincides in the feeling that this maximum number should 

 be prescribed for the District of Columbia for certified milk. 



Dr. William H. Park, of New York City, is authority for the 

 statement that any intelligent farmer can, by the use of sufficient 

 cleanliness and by applying adequate refrigeration with practically 

 no increase in expense, supply milk 24 to 36 hours old which will 

 not contain in each cubic centimeter over 50,000 to 100,000 bacteria. 

 He adds, further, that when only moderate cleanliness is observed, 

 such as can be employed by any farmer without increasing appre- 

 ciably his expense (that is to say, by the employment of clean pails, 

 straining cloths, cans, and bottles; clean hands and a fairly clean 

 place for milking, and by maintaining in decent condition the cow's 

 udder and flanks), the milk when first drawn will average in hot 

 weather not over 30,000 and in cold weather not over 25,000 bacteria 

 per cubic centimeter. This same milk, if cooled to and kept at a tem- 

 perature of 50 F., will not contain at the end of 24 hours over 

 100,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter. Dr. Park further observes that 

 the maximum number of bacteria to be determined upon as advan- 

 tageously allowable depends on the size of the city or town, for the 

 reason that the longer the haul the poorer the bacterial quality of the 

 milk. In his judgment, certified milk should average under 10,000 

 bacteria per cubic centimeter ; pasteurized, under 50,000 ; and common 

 market milk, under 100,000 in winter and under 500,000 in summer. 



Dr. Hamill, who has devoted large attention to the study of the 

 relation of milk to the problems of public health, believes that it 

 should be the aim of every municipality to so safeguard its milk 

 supply as to attain a maximum standard of 100,000 bacteria to the 

 cubic centimeter. 



The practicability of establishing a maximum bacterial content for 

 milk commercially used may be assured from the fact that Boston, 

 Kochester, and other communities have prescribed standards ranging 

 from 100,000 to 500,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter. 



The regulations for the grading and sale of milk promulgated by 

 the Boston Board of Health, specify, among other things, that no 

 person shall sell or deliver any milk or cream containing more than 

 500,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter. 



Among the rules regulating the pasteurization of milk and milk 

 products adopted for the city of Chicago is the requirement that milk 

 and skimmed milk shall not contain more than 100,000 bacteria per 

 cubic centimeter from May 1 to September 30, and not over 50,000 



