52 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



system of milk "handling" after the milk reaches Boston 

 and before it reaches the consumer might be much improved. 

 I have commented at length on this subject elsewhere in 

 another paper. 



Infection in Milk. — The source of infection in milk is be- 

 lieved to be mainly, first, in the cow herself; and, second, in 

 the men who handle the milk. It may be also in the water used 

 to rinse the cans ; but in my judgment this source of trouble, 

 while not to be neglected, is much less important. I am 

 often asked whether or not a cow which has drunk infected 

 water can give the infection, — for example, of typhoid fever. 

 The answer is that we have no evidence that she can do so. 

 In regard to tuberculosis, I will only say that it makes very 

 little difference, practically, whether or not the tuberculin 

 test is trustworthy. So long as the milk-buying public is 

 alarmed on the subject, it would seem to be simple common- 

 sense for every milk seller to be able to show that so far as 

 our knowledge goes there is no evidence of the disease in his 

 herd. It ought not to be forgotten that it is a poor plan in 

 business for the seller to ignore or treat as of small conse- 

 quence the wishes or even the peculiarities of his customers. 

 I repeat, therefore, because it is a matter of practical impor- 

 tance, that the infection is believed to proceed sometimes — 

 in the case of tuberculosis, for example — from the cow her- 

 self, and sometimes from the men who handle the milk. 

 An example of the latter class is typhoid fever. Here 

 there is no evidence that the disease can be communicated by 

 the cow ; but there is abundant evidence that persons having 

 typhoid fever, either in a severe or a mild form, may, and 

 sometimes do, infect milk if they " handle " it or work about 

 it. Many cases of this kind are now on record ; and for 

 improvements in this particular we must look to both the 

 producers and the middlemen. Whoever works over or 

 about milk, whether on the farm, or in the milk-house in 

 the city where the milk is " mixed" and " set up" or trans- 

 ferred to little cans, ought to be especially careful to observe 

 the utmost personal cleanliness, as well as to secure the 

 cleanness of all utensils employed. 



