704 
* 
Infected milk . — Infected milk is milk contaminated with patho- 
genic germs. Very many instances have been and are still being ad- 
duced of epidemics of the zymotic diseases, such as typhoid fever, 
scarlet fever, diphtheria, and the like, which have been directly 
traced to milk contaminated with their specific bacilli. Such epi- 
demics originate either in the water supply of the dairy farm or from 
sickness among the personnel engaged in handling it. Pathological 
conditions affecting the cow are also contributive to the infection of 
milk. Thus tuberculous disease of the udder is a fruitful source of 
the presence of the bacillus of tuberculosis, and garget, an inflamma- 
tion of the bovine mammary gland, is a very common cause of the 
presence of pus and streptococci. In short, unless conditions affect- 
ing the water supply, the dairy farm, the health of the cattle, and 
the incidence of disease among the employees engaged in handling it 
from the cow to the consumer are subject to efficient prophylaxis, so 
long will conditions favorable to the infection of milk obtain. 
Falsification of milk . — It is obvious that milk should be what it 
purports to be, i. e., whole milk. It should, therefore, not' be robbed 
of its content of butter fat by skimming, nor should its color be im- 
proved by artificial means. It is needless to say that no preservatives 
should be added to it, as is often done by the unscrupulous. 
Cold milk . — The prompt cooling of milk, after it is drawn, to a 
temperature of 7.7° C. (45° F.) and its maintenance at that temper- 
ature until the time of consumption is one of the most efficient means 
at our command for restraining the growth of its bacterial content 
and preserving its wholesomeness as a food. Milk is an excellent 
culture medium for bacteria. Although by appropriate precautions 
the number of germs present can be very materially reduced, there 
are no methods at present commercially possible by which the nat- 
ural sterility of mother’s milk as drawn by the babe can be imitated. 
It is entirely within our means, however, to restrict the growth of 
bacteria in milk. 
The rapid cooling of cow’s milk after it has been drawn to a tem- 
perature of 7.7° C. (45° F.) and the maintenance of that tempera- 
ture until the time of consumption not only prevents the multipli- 
cation of its original bacterial content, but actually tends to diminish 
their number. In the winter, the low atmospheric temperature ren- 
ders this easy of accomplishment. In the summer, the fulfillment of 
these conditions involves the use of efficient methods of refrigeration 
on the part of the dairyman, the transportation company, the milk 
jobber or handling company, and finally on the part of the consumer 
to whom the milk is delivered. 
It is the preliminary seeding of milk with the noxious germs of 
filth and their deliberate and luxuriant cultivation by conditions of 
temperature both of the milk and its surroundings, often simulating 
