70 
TYPHOID FEVEE IK DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 
OBTAINING SAMPLES. 
The samples of milk for the above deterininations were purchased 
at the dairies, from milk ^Yagons on the street, or delivered to the 
laboratory or to houses in various parts of the city. It is therefore 
evident that the samples studied fairly represent the average milk 
actually supplied to the bulk of the householders of Washington. 
TEMPERATLTIE OF THE MILK. 
The temperature of each bottle of milk was taken, under the usual 
bacteriological precautions, as soon as the sample was obtained. 
Onh" 16 of the 172 samples of milk obtained during the warm weather 
had a temperature as low as 10° C. (50° F.). 
The sanitary code of the New York City Board of Health considers 
milk to be adulterated the temperature of which is liigher than 50° F. 
and section 54 of the code states that — 
any milk found to be adulterated which has been brought into the city of New York 
or is held or offered for sale in said city may be seized and destroyed by any inspector 
or other officer of this Department authorized to inspect same. 
The regulations for the sale and care of milk promulgated by the 
Boston Board of Health June 6, 1905, article 6, section 1, proHde that: 
No person, by himself or by his servant or agent, or as the servant or agent of any 
other person, ffi’m or corporation, shall, in the city of Boston, sell, exchange or deliver, 
or have in his custody or possession with intent to sell, exchange or deliver, any 
milk, skimmed milk, or cream which contains more than 500,000 bacteria per cubic 
centimeter, or which has a temperatiue higher than 50° Fahi’enheit. 
The rapidity with which bacteria multiply in milk at a temperature 
somewhat above 50° F. was well shown by Freudenreich. In his 
experiment the milk contained 153,000 organisms per cubic centi- 
meter and was exposed to a temperature of 59° F. It contained 
after — 
Bacteria per cubic 
centimeter. 
1 horn' - - 
2 hours. 
4 hours. 
7 hours. 
9 hours. 
24 hours 
539, 750 
616, 250 
680, 000 
1. 020, 000 
2. 040, 000 
85, 000. 000 
Park emphasizes the fact that few, even the well informed, appre- 
ciate how great a difference a few degrees of temperature vdll make 
in the rate of bacterial multiplication. Wlk rapidly and sufficient!}^ 
cooled keeps almost unalterated for thudy-six hours, while milk that 
is insufficiently cooled deteriorates rapidly. 
The great bulk of the milk offered for sale in the District of Columbia 
during the summer would have been considered adulterated according 
