Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-11

especially.
''Buttermilk and cream. and possibly
other dairy products, also may act as We
hicleS of infection. Several of the eighty
five cases attributed by us to milk probably
received their infection in buttermilk or
cream
Ice Cream Must Be Looked After.
"Ice cream in particular must engage the
attention of the sanitarian, for it is known
to be a vehicle by which the infection is
spread 1t is admitted, in the District Of
Columbia at least. that the worst milk Is
often used for the purpose of making ice
cream. Further, the making and handling
OF this delusive deicacy is often under the
poorest possible sanitary conditions
The report declares that milk and cream
are not promptly distributed after beng
received in the city, twenty-four hours be-
ing allowed to lapse in many cases from
the receipt and delivery of the product
Bottles are generally not properly cleaned.
and employees of daires are careless in
handiing milk AS rule. stables are near
the diaries, and but one dairy visited was
thoroughly screened to prevent flies from
coming to the milk after being in the
stables.
AT one dairy" the report states, IAN
employe was seen to put his finger alter
nately into the milk and then into his
mouth. and back again into the next can
of milk. in order to assure himself that
the general supply
In one instance the driver Of a milk
wagon 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 two pint bottles from one
quart bottle he licked the mouths of the
potties clean with his tongue and then
applied the usual paper cap.
In another instance a driver was seen
to NIL some empty bottles he had coil acted
on his route by dipping the bottles, in
Guiding his fingers, into the can of milk"
Location of Diaries.
The location of dairies in the District
or Columbia is far from satisfac tory the
board states. On that subject they say:
Diaries are usually situated OF the
hrst foor; sometimes in dingy Easements
or cellars. Some of them are in Door
sanitary condition, others fair; a few
were in line order at the time of insnec
ton.
The location Of most of the dairies ia
pernlcious so far general sanitary sur
roundings are concerned Many of them
are situated near squaIid settlements or
anut on unkempt alleys. Close relation
between almost all dairies and stables
has already been referred TO-
There are large number of small mr.
Veyors Of milk in the District Through
a technlcality in the law these small
places mostly small corner stores, Will.
subjected to inspection, are immune to the
general sanitary requirements Of the
health department. The conditions under
which the milk is kept and retailed in
some or these places can better be i'm
aglned than described. In some instances
we found small grocery stores selling a
cents worth of milk from bottles or cans.
"hlie upstairs or In an adjoining room
Iyphc-d Fever cases were being treated
hot
dispensed milk. Flies passed freely from
the sick room to the store, and the chances
OF conveying the infection from the patient
10 mix ana other articles sold in the store
were favorable.
Great Bulk of Milk Adulteratsd.
The great bulk of the milk offered for
sale in the District of Columbia during
the summer would have been considered
adulterated according to the sanitary code
of New York and would have been ex-
cluded from sale according to the health
regulations OF the city of Boston on ac-
count of the temperature alone.
In addition to being old and warm. much
of the milk sold In Washington is dirty.
showed no visible deposit in the original
contaner after several hours standing Fiji
teen of the samples contained a very small
amount of dirt 9S con tained small amount
OF Ulrt, contained much dirt, and l con-
tanned (mouSeD feceS.
This foreign matter (dirD when exam
ined under the microscope was found to
consist Of focal matter. hair, epithelial and
other cells. straw. bacteria and all manner
of extraneous substances that have no place
in clean milk
Foreign Matter Visible.
I'VE made no cumulative weehinps NJ
the amount of dirt found in our SAMPLES
but only took note of the foreign matter
visible to the naked eye. which settled down
after few hours standing. Any housewife
may satisfy herself of the presence or alb
sence Of foreign matter by this simple test
Good, clean milk should show no such de-
posit
Comment upon this pert of our work
seems unnecessary. 1t is true that hair
COW excrement and other substances found
in the milk do not of themselves breed dis
ease, and may not be so DANCE Gus as the
invisible pathogenic germs; but the one Is
as undesirable as the other is dangerous.
The fact that such extraneous substances
gain entrance to the milk in such large
quantities Is a sad commentary upon the
cleanliness used in milking and the after
care of the milk. and Is an index of how
readily the more insidious and less evident
infections of typhoid fever, diphtheria scar
let fever. etc. may likewise contaminate