452       Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  {^VembeSo™ 
play  diverse  zymotic  activities.  Without  adding  anything  to  this 
contention,  the  author  inclines  to  the  view  of  Fisher,  as  presented 
in  the  following  metaphor :  There  are  keys  constructed  in  the  form 
of  a  ring  to  which  are  attached  side-branches,  each  one  of  which  fits 
a  different  lock.  Let  one  or  more  of  these  attachments  be  bent,  or 
in  any  other  way  incapacitated,  the  remaining  branches  will  never- 
theless retain  their  peculiar  property. — Med.  Nezvs,  1902,  p.  108 1. 
CERTIFIED  MILK. 
It  is  by  no  means  generally  known  that  the  term  "  certified  milk" 
originated  in  New  Jersey  with  the  Essex  County  Medical  Commis- 
sion, in  1893.  This  commission  was  organized  for  furnishing  the 
medical  profession  with  a  milk  properly  prepared  and  properly 
handled,  suitable  for  clinical  purposes.  The  eighteenth  report  of 
this  commission,  which  has  just  been  received,  demonstrates  how 
stringently  the  dairyman,  with  whom  their  contract  was  made  nine 
years  ago,  has  adhered  to  the  standards  required,  the  milk  showing 
the  lack  of  micro-organisms  in  large  numbers  and  the  entire 
absence  of  pathogenic  varieties;  an  unvarying  resistance  to  early 
fermentative  changes,  so  that  it  may  be  kept  under  ordinary  condi- 
tions without  extraordinary  care ;  and  a  constant  nutritive  value  of 
known  chemical  composition,  with  a  uniform  relation  between  the 
percentage  of  fats,  proteids  and  carbohydrates.  A  chemist,  bacte- 
riologist, physician  and  three  veterinarians  are  employed  by  the 
commission  to  regulate  matters  of  hygiene,  sanitation,  etc.  The 
buildings  on  the  farm  are  well  constructed,  drained  and  ventilated ; 
the  fodder,  which  is  of  exceptional  quality,  is  kept  apart  from  all 
sources  of  contamination ;  there  is  a  good  water  supply ;  and  every- 
thing is  kept  scrupulously  clean  continually.  There  are  no  stagnant 
pools  in  the  neighborhood  ;  no  fowl,  hogs,  horses  or  other  live  stock 
on  the  farm ;  no  sick  or  excited  cows ;  and  no  animal  bred  through 
consanguinity  within  a  period  of  three  generations.  The  stables  are 
so  frequently  cleaned  that  no  animal  odors  are  noticeable.  The 
cows  are  thoroughly  milked  in  a  clean  building,  after  their  udders 
have  been  cleaned,  and  the  milker,  having  put  on  clean  overalls, 
has  washed  his  hands. 
The  milk  is  at  once  transferred  to  sterilized,  dry  cooling  cans, 
after  passing  through  a  sieve  with  no  less  than  100  meshes  to  the 
linear  inch.    The  milk  is  cooled  in  a  separate  building,  to  between 
