94 MUNICIPAL SANITARY CONTROL OF MILK. 



The dairy score card. The dairy score card has been found 

 a most useful means for simplifying the work of dairy inspec- 

 tion. The system is adapted from a method used to score the 

 conformation of cows, etc. All of the essential facts of im- 

 portance regarding equipment and methods are tabulated in an 

 orderly manner, and numerical weight is assigned to each point 

 in proportion to its importance. The inspector takes up each 

 point in detail and enters on the score card a number express- 

 ing his opinion of the relation that the condition in question 

 bears to the standard of perfection. The total score represents 

 his very carefully analyzed opinion of the condition of the 

 dairy as compared with the standard of perfection followed. 



The score card has many advantages. The tendency to 

 neglect details in the inspection is checked, for the inspector 

 has before hira comprehensive suggestions. If he is inexper- 

 ienced, any tendency to overestimate or underestimate the 

 importance of various details is obviated. In making recom- 

 mendations regarding certain details his advice is made more 

 weighty by the score card, to which he may refer the dairyman. 

 A copy of the score, left with the dairyman, is a permanent 

 record of the criticisms, as is likewise the copy kept by the 

 inspector. By comparison of the scores made at different 

 times the progress of improvement maybe measured. 



Jnspection with scoring can most readily bring about the 

 proper equipment of dairies in the matter of buildings and 

 equipment, such as cooling and scalding apparatus, etc. These 

 features are necessary and desirable, but beyond them is the 

 problem of ensuring the practice of a uniformly thorough asep- 

 tic technic. During the visits of the inspector some idea of 

 the technic may be obtained by observation. The necessity 

 for haste to accomplish results in some cases prevents the in- 

 spector from personally observing the practice of all the details 

 of milk handling. Experience in observation, supplemented 

 by cross-questioning, enables him to draw out information on 

 matters that he may not have time to wait to see. In any 

 event, there are long periods between visits when the methods 

 are not under control. The magnitude of dairy inspection 

 makes it difficult to have these visits frequent enough. New 



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