MUNICIPAL HYGIENE 693 



period of the disease would appear to be from eight to ten 

 days. 



The hygienic measures to be adopted in infectious udder 

 trouble (and probably most udder troubles are infectious) 

 are very clear. All affected animals with their attendants 

 must be at once isolated ; bearing in mind the fact that the 

 spread of disease is through the hands of the milkers, the 

 necessity for their isolation is as urgent as that of the 

 affected cows. The place occupied by the diseased animals 

 must be thoroughly disinfected, half measures are of no use, 

 for it is known that under certain circumstances the disease 

 may be most persistent. 



In the outbreak recorded by Eadway the most careful 

 disinfection failed to combat the disease ; fresh cows became 

 infected, as he suggests through the milkers handling 

 infected milk-churns : the owner had eventually to get rid 

 of the whole of his stock and evacuate the place for six 

 months, during which time it was thoroughly disinfected 

 and thrown open to air and sunlight, which proved 

 effective. 



The great danger is the milker, and the necessity for his 

 thorough disinfection, especially the hands, is evident. 

 Hands are by no means easy to disinfect : scrubbing with 

 soft soap and hot water, followed by methylated spirit, and 

 finally bichloride 1-1000, is effective under thorough super- 

 vision ; supervision which is, in fact, most difficult to insure 

 with a class not remarkable for habits of ordinary cleanli- 

 ness, and to whom surgical cleanliness appears superfluous 

 and unnecessary. 



It is fair to assume where the disease continues in spite 

 of every apparent care, that a loophole exists somewhere 

 which requires detection. 



The washing out of churns and other vessels with boiling 

 water may not prove sufficient; immersion and boiling 

 would no doubt suffice, but for large vessels this may be 

 difficult to carry out. In such cases the only method is to 

 fill the churn with water, and light a fire below and boil for 

 an hour. The whole of the outside may for safety be 



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