PATHOGENIC ORGANISMS. 28-5 



infection. Another, but less satisfactory means, is to mix the 

 milk with that of healthy cows and trust to Providence for the 

 presence of sufficient lactic acid organisms to destroy the tubercle 

 bacilli ; even if they are not destroyed, they are sometimes so 

 diluted that they have no toxic efiect on healthy adults, though 

 children and persons weakened by disease or predisposed by 

 heredity to consumption may be afiected. 



Other diseases — pleuro-pneumonia, foot and mouth disease, 

 and scarlatina (or an analogous skin disease) — may be derived 

 from the cattle. These are much less common than tuberculosis- 

 and less insidious, as the symptoms can be detected with com- 

 parative ease in the cows. Practically speaking, tuberculosis is 

 the only disease which needs to be guarded against by systematic 

 veterinary inspection. 



Conveyance of Disease through Contamination of the 

 Milk. — The labours of the late Ernest Hart in collecting statis- 

 tics have conclusively shown that typhoid, cholera, scarlet fever, 

 and diphtheria can be conveyed through milk. 



There are practically two causes: (1) the occurrence of the 

 disease in the milkers and those handling the milk, and their 

 families ; and (2) the presence of the organisms to which the 

 malady is due in water used for " cleansing " the utensils or for 

 adulterating the milk. 



The epidemics of scarlet fever and diphtheria which have been 

 spread through milk have almost all been due to the milk being 

 handled, shortly after milking, by those either affected with the 

 disease, or living in the same house with sufferers. The remedy 

 is, of course, obvious ; a rule should be made in every dairy that 

 all employes who feel unwell should absent themselves from their 

 work, and pay an immediate visit to a medical man ; if any 

 members of their families be ill, medical advice should be simi- 

 larly obtained ; and if the disease be infectious, the employe 

 must be at once suspended from duty, and not allowed to go 

 near the dairy. 



It is found in practice that this regulation can be carried out 



(1) By the employer providing for the services of a medical man. 



(2) By the payment of full wages to any employ^ who is suffering from 

 infectious dipease, and suspended from duty. 



(3) By a distinct understarKling that the breaking of the regulation by 

 an emvloyi means instant dismissal without notice. 



Water - borne Diseases. — Typhoid and cholera, which are 

 essentially water-borne diseases, have, in the majority of cases 

 investigated, been due to the use of contaminated water for the 

 cleansing (sic) of dairy utensils ; the small amount of water left 

 on the sides of the vessel is sufficient, if the water contains virulent 

 germs, to infect the milk ; even more so does this occur if the 



