THE BACTERIOLOGY OF ICE CREAM 
B. W. HAMMER 
Within the last few years, the growth of the ice cream in- 
dustry has been phenomenally rapid. Instead of being a 
product associated with holidays and similar occasions, ice 
cream has become a common confection and standard dessert 
that is readily available in even the smallest towns. Its manu- 
facture has grown from a home, or at least a local affair, to 
an industry of immense magnitude with regular shipments 
over steam and electric roads to large numbers of dispensing 
establishments. 
The rapid development of the ice cream business has in- 
troduced numerous problems, many of which are essentially 
bacteriological in nature. The enormous demands that are 
made by the manufacturers on the sweet cream supply, 
especially during the warm months when shipping is more 
difficult and when the amount of milk produced is ordinarily 
decreasing, have necessitated the institution of various ship- 
ping procedures. Suitable methods of holding cream have 
been required, not only to provide for possible heavy demands 
but also to take care of over-stocks during cool weather. Sharp 
competition, with the consequent tendency to more efficient 
methods and a better product, has likewise necessitated pro- 
cedures that inevitably involve bacteriological considerations, 
and the public health side has been considered because with 
the increase in the consumption, the importance of ice cream 
as a means of spreading disease has been realized and an 
effort made to decrease the danger from this source. 
Tur Numbers or Bacrrerta In Ick Cream 
The numbers of bacteria present in ice cream have been 
studied by many laboratorics, particularly those associated 
with health departments. The cubic centimeter has been 
