68 TYPHOID FEVER IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 
CLEANING OF SHIPPERS’ CANS. 
As a general thing the milk cans are simply rinsed with tap water 
and returned to the shippers. In a few instances the flushing out 
with cold water is followed by hot water or steam. In one or two 
dairies the cans are scrubbed. 
SCREENS AND FLIES. 
Flies are a great nuisance in all but one or two of the dairies 
inspected, and A^ery few dairymen use intelligent measures in ridding 
their dairies of this danger. Thirty- two of the 38 dairies inspected 
are not screened at all; 5 are partly screened, and only one was found 
to be thoroughly protected in this manner. The stable, in close 
proximity to the dairies, provide breeding places for flies and make 
this feature of the dairy business a particularly dangerous one from 
a sanitary standpoint. 
Almost all the dairies liaAm water-closets, sometimes In foul con- 
dition, either in the same building or m the rear of the dairy, or 
more commonly m the adjoining stable, so that there are many 
chances for flies, etc., to carry infection from these water-closets to 
the milk. Nearly all the dairies stable their horses to the rear of 
the bottling room. 
EMPLOYEES. 
Persons employed to handle milk show a woeful disregard of clean- 
liness as it is understood in a sanitary sense. The milk is contami- 
nated largely through ignorance and through lack of cleanlmess. In 
only a single Instance m the 38 dairies inspected are employees 
required to change their clothes and wear clean white suits or to 
Avash their hands before beginning Avork. In two Instances we learned 
of employees Ihung at homes in Avhich cases of typhoid fever Avere 
being treated. There is practically no medical supervision to elim- 
inate Avorkmen Avho may contaminate the milk during the early 
stages of disease or during the three or four months folloAving recovery, 
during Avhich periods such persons frequently discharge large numbers 
. of virulent typhoid bacilli. 
At one dairy an employee Avas seen to put his finger alternately 
into the milk and then into his mouth, and back again into the next 
can of milk, in order to assure himself that the milk was sweet before 
adding it to the general suppl}^. 
In one instance the drhmr of a milk Avagon was observed filling 
pint bottles out of quarts. He evidently ran out of pints, and hence 
used the empty bottles collected on his route for this purpose. After 
filling tAvo pint bottles from one quart bottle he licked the mouths 
of the bottles clean” Avith his tongue and then applied the usual 
paper cap. 
