MILK AS A FACTOR IN THE CAUSATION OF DISEASE. 
105 
washed out. It also emphasizes the importance of cleanly sur¬ 
roundings for cattle, for we find that the cows referred to in 
Bryce’s experiments were handled with unusual care as regards 
cleanliness, with the evident result that the first of the milk was 
not contaminated, as in Dr. Peters’ experiments. 
Not only should the greatest care be exercised as to cleanli¬ 
ness, however, but after aerating the milk to rid it of bad odors, 
it should be rapidly cooled to about 41 °F., the cooling of milk 
preventing or retarding the growth of the various micro-organ¬ 
isms contained in the milk. To again quote from Dr. Bryce, 
“ Milk that had been kept in a cool place, and then showed 10,- 
000 micro-organisms per c. c. was afterwards allowed to stand in 
a warm room some six hours, and during this time the bacteria 
increased from 10,000 to 100,000 per c. c.” 
Experiments by Feer showed the same results. “ In exam¬ 
ining milk a few hours after milking that had been supplied to a 
Children’s Hospital, he found in winter 50 to 70,000 bacteria per 
c. c. In summer, under the same conditions, they averaged 300,- 
000 and after standing a few hours at ordinary temperature they 
multiplied to 14,000,000. (Annual of Med. Sciences.) 
These experiments show the importance of cleanliness and of 
keeping the milk at a low temperature, not only at the dairy 
farm, but after delivery to the customer. Many a farmer gets 
blamed for delivering impure or sour milk, when no one is at 
fault but the ignorant or careless householders. Want of knowl¬ 
edge or want of appreciation of the importance of absolute clean¬ 
liness in the care of milk is perhaps one of the greatest, though 
unrealized, difficulties that health authorities will have to Con¬ 
tend against. 
Of all infantile disorders cholera infantum or milk diarrhoea 
is by far the most fatal, and thousands of children die every sum¬ 
mer from this cause alone. In referring to milk diarrhoea, Keat¬ 
ing says, “ Its character and type are modified by three important 
factors : I. Climate or season. II. Social condition. III. Food. 
It is not now believed that heat per se causes diarrhoea. It is 
only a powerful, indirect factor, lowering the vitality of the pa- 
