350 MILK AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH chap. 



these four departments, safeguards are established against the 

 common dangers of impoverished and contaminated milk. 



The actual conditions of production required are usually 

 very stringent, and are controlled by frequent bacteriological 

 examination. In many instances a numerical standard of the 

 number of bacteria per cc. is adopted, this in most cases 

 being not more than 10,000 per cc. 



As an example of the requirements of a Milk Commission 

 the regulations of the Milk Commission of the Medical Society 

 of the County of New York ^ may be quoted in detail : 



The Commission has fixed upon a maximum of 30,000 germs 

 of all kinds per cubic centimetre of milk, which must not be 

 exceeded to obtain the indorsement of the Commission. This 

 standard must be attained solely by measures directed towards 

 scrupulous cleanliness, proper cooling, and prompt delivery. 



The milk certified by the Commission must contain not less 

 than 4 per cent of butter fat on the average, and have all other 

 characteristics of pure, wholesome milk. 



Milk must not be sold as certified beyond the day on which it 

 reaches New York City. No milk may be shipped as certified 

 which will reach the city more than 36 hours after production. 



In order that dealers who incur the expense and take the 

 precautions necessary to furnish a truly clean and wholesome milk 

 may have some suitable means of bringing these facts before the 

 public, the Commission offers them the right to use caps on their 

 milk jars stamped with the words, " Certified by the Milk Commis- 

 sion of the Medical Society of the County of New York." The 

 dealers are given the right to use these certificates when their milk 

 is obtained under the conditions required by the Commission and 

 conforms to its standards. In accordance with a law passed at the 

 last legislature, the word " certified " may be used on the cap only 

 when accompanied by the name of the society which certifies it. 



The tin sealed cap, authorised by the Commission, must be 

 used on all the certified milk passing through the hands of dealers 

 selling milk other than the certified. These caps are sent by the 

 makers only to the farm where the milk is bottled. The name of 

 the farm from which the milk comes must appear on either the 

 paper cap or the tin cap. 



Each bottle of milk must be dated on the date of bottling or 

 date to be sold. 



The Milk Commission looks to the dealer for its fee. 



Each dealer is expected to send a bottle of milk each week to 

 the Research Laboratory of the Department of Health, taken at 



^ Bulletin No. 18, Stale of New York Department of Agriculture, 1910. 



