The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-31
MILK THE CAUSE.
Cholera Infantum Traced TO
That Source.
State Board of Health Conducts
an Investigation.
DAIRYMEN CARELESS.
Not Particular Enough to Keep
Bottles Clean.
Samples Taken in Topeka Show
Startling Conditions.


summer scourge of children. is the
chief object of Investigations which
have for three days been conducted at
the office of S. j. Crumbine, chief
food inspector, by w. H. Billings,
head professor of bacteriology at the
Kansas State university, and Frank
Agrelius, his assistant.
Doctors and bacteriologists believe
that the chief source of cholera in
fantum is milk which is infected with
microbs and germs. These germs are
due to dirt. Dirty dairies. dirty cows
and dirty milkmen are responsible. 1t
is also necessary that milk should be
properly handled after being milked;
1t must be cooled Immediately, and
kept cool until used. BY observing
these rules, the doctors and bac-
teriologists say that danger of cholera
infantum can be largely eliminated.
Some months ago Mr.. Billings and
Mr.. Agrelius made bacteria counts
of Topeka milk, and found that it was
very low grade. Only three or four
samples out of thirty were within the
limits which safety demands. Some
of the samples showed as high as 65
million microbes to a cubic cent?
meter of milk. In order to be sure
that there was no mistake, DIR. Crum-
bine arranged to have two bacteriolo-
peka, establish a temporary labora-
tory and make their tests again.
How Microbes Are Counted.
Samples of milk were secured from
all the dairies in town. These sam
pies were taken without previous no
tice from milk wagons and milk
depots The samples were taken in
sterilized bottles. The process of
making count" of microbes is COM
paratively simple. The bacteriologist
takes a flask containing SO cubic
centimeters of sterile water Into this
he puts one cubic centimeter of the
milk to be examined. This gives a
mixture of 1-10O. Then he takes an
other flask containing SO cubic cent?
meters of sterile water, and into this
puts one cubic centimeter of the
1-100 dilution. This gives a dilution
of one part of milk to 10000 of
water He makes a third dilution in
the same way, and gets a solution of
one part of milk to 100000 of
water.
Then the bacteriologist takes a glass
dish Ike very shallow saucer with a
cover. Into this dish he puts one cubic
centimeter of the 1-1000,00O dilution,
and adds few teaspoonful of what is
called agar Agar is a mixture of
beef broth and milk sugar, and when
cool becomes a jelly-like substance. 1t
is good food for germs, and what
ever germs there are in the tiny bit of
milk will grow and develop in this
culture medium" very rapidly. Each
germ. far too small to be seen by the
naked eye, develops into a colony of
germs, and in about 30 hours, these
colonies are large enough to be easily
seen by the naked eye. Some of the
especially busy ones get as large as
ones finger nail and of course contain
millions upon millions of germs. But
the bacteriologist knows that each COL
ony grew from one germ. So he counts
the spots, and knows now many germs
there are in IL 900 dilution of the
milk. 1t is then simply a process of
multiplication to determine how many
microbes there are in the milk at full
strength If there are so spots on the
plate, 1t means $4,000, 900 microbes in a
cubic centimeter of milk. A cubic CEN
timeter is about half a teaspoonful.
1t is estimated that milk can contain
half a million microbes TO a cubic CEN
timeter without any danger. There are
certain amount of microbes in all
milk; the microbes which eventually
make Tactic acid or sour milk. The
Tactic acid germs are not to be feared
If present in small quantities but it is
the other germs which are due to the
dirt and filth of the constable which
are likely to make trouble.
Results of Topeka Tests.
The second tests of milk samples Sc
cured in Topeka were completed today
Hty SliOM ltldl there Is great room IOT
Improvement in the quality of Topeka
milk. Probably the milk served in To-
peka is as good as the average milk
furnished in Kansas, but if It is none
of 1t worse than Topeka milk, it is
plenty bad enough.
About 80 samples of Topeka milk
were examined, and a number of sam
pies of ice cream. Ice cream contains
more microbes than milk for two rea-
sons: first because cream is always
richer in microbes than is milk; sec
ond, because the cream in ice cream is
generally older than the milk sold for
domestic purposes.
The exact results of the examinations
made of Topeka milk can not be given
at present, as the bacteriologists have
not finished making up their report. II
is understood, however. that one of the
milk samples gave a count of 65 mil
lions, and that only one or two sam
pies gave a count of less than one
million.