BACTERIA IN MILK OF ST PETERSBURG 



119 



these : — The milk was taken in ordinary barns ; the ground was 

 covered with manure, and the cows more or less visibly dirty ; the 

 teats of the udder were cleansed slightly by running the unwashed 

 hands over them once before milking ; and the pails and cans were 

 cleaned but not sterilised. The milk was cooled to 45" F. within two 

 hours of milking, and the results were as follows : — Average shortly 

 after milking in warm weather 30,366 bacteria per c.c. ; after twenty- 

 four hours, 48,000 ; after forty-eight hours, 680,000. Average shortly 

 after milking in winter weather 16,650 bacteria per c.c. ; after 

 twenty-four hours, 31,000; after forty-eight hours, 210,000. 



But even these high figures are at once dwarfed when we 

 come to consider the bacterial content of milk not in any pre- 

 arranged or academical sense but actually as it is placed on the 

 market. 



The researches of Zakherbekofif ^ into the bacterial content of 

 St Petersburg milk are of interest. An examination of (i) Farm 

 milk, (2) Creamery milk, and (3) Milk at time of dehver)' from 

 house to house, produced the following results : — 



Comparing average maximum figures of St Petersburg milk 

 with that of other centres he found the milk of 



The examination of Naples milk by Dr A. Montefusco ^ shows 

 interesting results, and is worthy of note owing to the well-known 

 system in vogue of taking round the cows, asses, and goats, and 

 milking them into receptacles provided by the householders at 



^ Annates de Micrographie, 1895. 



2 Anali deir Instituto digiene sperimentale delta R. Universita de Rcma^ 

 m-»P-539- 



