230 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



connected with his dairy, and of all the members of their house- 

 hold. If at any time a contagious disease appears, the patient 

 should be excluded from the dairy premises and all communica- 

 tion between the house and dairy should cease until the danger 

 is past. The same care should be taken to keep any person 

 who has been exposed to a contagious disease away from the 

 milk. Those working in a dairy should not enter a house where 

 there has been a contagious disease until it has been properly 

 disinfected. 



The personal cleanliness of the attendants is often neglected. 

 They should be clean in appearance and habits. Clothes and 

 hands require special attention. Outer garments, used for dairy 

 work only, should be worn, and they should be cleaned often. 

 If a separate suit is kept for milking and is hung in the stable 

 and never aired, it looks and smells badly and is soon worse 

 than the regular work clothes. White material that can be 

 washed is the best for dairy suits. The objection made against 

 white goods that they show. dirt quickly is really in their favor. 

 When a suit is soiled it should show it and be cleaned. On 

 model dairy farms the suits are washed daily; this is not a diffi- 

 cult task, as they never become much soiled and they may be 

 rough-dried. A hat or a cap should be used, to prevent hairs 

 falling into the pail from the milker's head. If an entire special 

 suit is not used when milking, one loose outer garment at least 

 should be worn. 



Just before milking the milker's hands ought to be washed. 

 His finger nails should be cleaned, and they should be kept short 

 and smooth at all times. An abundance of water and soap 

 should be available and used. Some recommend washing the 

 hands after each cow is milked; neglect of this has resulted in 

 unconsciously carrying a disease, such as inflammation of the 

 udder, to sound animals. Care must be taken not to let the 

 hands touch the milk, as the skin always has more or less ex- 

 cretions on it, and these help to contaminate the milk. The 

 hands should be kept dry, and if there are any sores they must 

 be carefully covered before milking. Dirt and milk rubbed into- 



