The farmer and mechanic., 1915-05-25
DIRTY SURROUNDINGS\ MAKE
DIRTY MILK
The Science Of BacteriOlOgy Has Given
Birth to- Modern Sanitary Science
and Has Disclosed Dangers Lurl1-
ing i'm the Milk Supply.

growth or larger plants. A large per- |
centage Of the diseases to which man
is subject are caused by the growth Of
these plants or germs; as. for exam
pie, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, scarlet
fever, diptheria, and the intestinal
troubles which cause such a large
mortality among babies, especially in |
large cites.
The close relation between milk as |
a food and these bacteria is due to the |
fact that these germs thrive and mul |
tiply so rapidly in milk. A contamin- |
alton Of milk which is very slight in |
the beginning will, in a few hours, |
under favorable conditions of temper
ature, reach such ma gnitude that
millions Of these germs are introduced
into the system of those using the
milk so contaminated. Nearly all of
the changes which take place in milk
are caused by bacteria. Milk becomes
stale and gives an offensive odOr be-
cause of the work of bacteria The
ripening of cheese depends almost en-
tirely upon the work of bacteria.
The great problem of handling milk
therefore. is the control of the bac-
terial content: the exclusion of unde-
sriable kinds and the introduction of
those which bring about changes that
are desired.
Milk from healthy COWS is practi-
cally free from bacteria when secret
ed. The problem of a sanitary milk
supply. therefore. is to keep out all
bacteria as far as is possible. Some
kinds are much more dangerous than
others. and attention to excluding
these kinds should be in proportion
to their significance to health. 1t is
hardly necessary to say that cleanli-
ness in all operations is at the fOunda
ton of the whole problem.
Repeated ests have shown that even
when a COW is cleaned as thoroughly
as possible, under stable conditions,
particles of dust will be thrown off
from her body during milking time,
and these get into the milk and con-
taminate it. Cows should be kept
away from sources of contamination
such as sink holes in which stagnant
water accumulates, for such holes
breed enormous numbers of putre-
factive bacteria which are especially
dangerous to infants, causing diges-
tive troubles. There should be ne
places In the barnyard for water t
Stagnate. The manure should be KEEP
gathered up, and every effort made tt
keep the cow free from conamina
tion.
The cow should be thorough.
cleaned. preferably Immediately be
fore milking 1t is also we'll to cli]
the hair short around the flanks an
ndder, and always advisable to moist
en- the flank just before milking. Al
of these precautions tend to lessen tn
amount Of dust or loose hair whicl
will be given off from the cow.
Keep the stable free from dust dur
ing milking. Dust usually comes fror
feed, bedding, or from breezzes whic
collect dust outside the stable an
carry it inside. The stable should b
constructed so as to collect as litt1
dust as possible. Corners should b
avoided, unnecessary timber should
left out, and the surfaces should b
smoothed.
There should be an abudance {
light in the stable. Light is one {
the cheapest and best germicide
Stables should be whitewashed frt
quently Lime itself has a germicid;
value, and it makes the stable lighte
Some dairymen use chloride Of lin
in the whitewash. This assists In xii
ing any form of life with which
comes in contact
a special room should be provide
for weighing and cooling the mil
This room should be as remote fro
the stable as is practicable, and shou
be clean, and the air as free fro
dust as is possible at all times. Son
dairymen have a special room
which to take the COW for milkin
This room is kept freer from bacter
than is possible in the general stab
This is very good plan but 1T is n
always practicable.
The milker is often the source
some of the most dangerous bacter
found in milk. especially germs viii
produce contagious disease. Mi
thus contaminated is distributed
the milkman, and a whole neighbC
hood suffers. This is a case whe
there can be no doubt as to. the I
sponsibility Of the milkmen. and W
full negligence should be made a cril
inal offense. Nearly every pyhsici
of experience in our cities has N
with epidemics which can be trac
directly to a contaminated milk sU
ply.
No perSop should handle milk w