The Duty of the Consumer 



forming bacteria in the milk. Secure milk 

 which does not contain these bacteria and it 

 Avill not sour. It is not disputed that milk 

 sours during a thunderstorm, but the cause 

 is not the thunderstorm itself, but certain 

 conditions accompanying it, which are favor- 

 able to the action of lactic acid bacteria. 



The consumer should further brush up his 

 knowledge of bacteria and be primed on the 

 difference between clean earth and bacterial 

 dirt. The former is harmless, while the lat- 

 ter is an enemy to be ceaselessly and vigi- 

 lantly guarded against. The milkman who 

 proudly holds up to view a bottle of milk, 

 clear of visible soil, should be compelled to 

 give something more reliable than this spec- 

 tacular exhibition. He should be asked to 

 demonstrate as well the absence of bacterial 

 contamination, and compelled to give proof 

 that in his process of extracting soil, which 

 may be perfectly harmless, he has not added 

 to the milk numbers of lactic acid and other 

 harmful bacteria. 



Milk in the household is governed by the 



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