Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-06
CLEAN AND COLD MILK
IS ONLY SANITARY SORT
Government Lays Down Prac-
ticaI Measures to Maintain
Purity of LacteaI Fluid.

While 1t would seem almost self-evident
| that clean containers help largely In max
Ing clean milk, and that milk. especially
| that fed to babies, should be carefully at
| tended to, the Department OF Agriculture
has thought enough OF the subject to is
sue special bulletin on the care OF milk
and its use in the home. pointing out some
common faults of household economy that
lead to killing off an immense number of
babies annually.
The bulletin points out that cleanliness
and cold are absolute requisites in keep
ing milk fit for any use. and especially
for raising bottle-fed babies.
1t has been found by long experiment
that bacteria in milk. which is the source
Of nearly all the summer trouble and bow
ell trouble In infants. multiply rapidly at
so degrees or above. while below 80 they
either lie dormant or multiply slowly. II
is therefore essential, even if the milk is
clean when received and well handled by
the milkman, not to give the bacteria a
chance to start to multiply.
OF course II the milk is used, say, with
In three hours after milking. there is not
SO much need Of cold. but this is almost
never the case with city milk. The de-
partment advises buying milk exclusively
In bottles and being sure that the bottles
are clean.
Milk that is kept for long in a can with
out refrigeration and frequently opened
says the bulletin. is not safe and should
never be used. The same Is almost equal
ly true OF milk that is drawn from a fau-
Get in a milkman's can.
This never has a chance to be properly
mixed. The chances are that most of the
customers get much less cream than their
share.
Covered Containers Advised.
The consumer is warned that il il is i'm
possible to get bottled milk, and IL is nee
essary to set out q bowl or pitcher for the
milk to be put In. that the container
should be covered TO keep out the dust.
1t Is suggested that the bes receptacle is
a glass fruit Jar well scalded and with the
rubber ring removed from the cover.
In the same connection IL Is best. IL the
milk cannot be taken In directly after IL
Is delivered, to put the Jar In shady
place.
Often there are milk tickets with which
to pay for the milk. Customers vino use
these are warned against putting them in
the vessel into which the milk is TO be
poured as they are nearly always dirty
and contain harmful bacteria. The same
Is true of putting money In the containef
that is to hold the milk.
When the milk is once taken into the
house 1t should be put at once into the
| ice box. II the milk cannot be put direct
| ly In contact with the ice, IL should be
put in the bottom Of the refrigerator,
| owing to the fact that the cold air always
| settles.
Keep in Original Bottle.
The milk should be kept in the orig
inal bottle until 1t is ready for use. IL
the pasteboard cap over the bottle has
been punctured il should be covered with
an inverted tumbler. The bulletin recon-
mends serving the milk on the table in
the original bottle. or. IL pitcher is to
be used, pouring out only so much milk
as will be consumed at the meal
Milk is ordinarily regarded as a bever-
age, but is q food and a good one The
bulletin says that a quart of good milk
is equal i'm food value to three-Quarters of
a pound of lean beef or eight eggs. Or,
to state the same thing in smaller
amounts, a cup of milk is equal to three
ounces OF lean beef or two eggs.
The bulletin goes at some length into
the use of milk or q non-milk bill OF fare.
and shows how the same amount of
nutriment can be had at q less expense
IL the housekeeper will be careful about
balancing the milk ratio with certain
other foods that make up the ideal diet.