The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-21
TELLS Of IMPORTANCE
OF SANITARY MILK
Prof. Murray, OF v. p. l., Shows How
Safe, Clean Product May
Be Obtained.
Blacksburg. Va. Jan. 2o.--Thomas

Blacksburg, Va, Jan. 20.-Thomas
j. Murray. associate professor of bac-
teriology at the Virginia Polytechnic
Institute. has this to say about the
Importance of sanitary milk and how
to obtain a safe. clean product for
home use or market. Professor Muir
ray says:
One Of the most important things
connected with farm sanitation or
cleanliness on the farm Is the produc-
ton OF clean, sanitary milk. All
changes that occur in milk, whether
they be beneficial or detrimental, are
caused by minute. plants known as
bacteria The natural souring of
milk. which is a beneficial change. is
caused by the Tactic acid bacteria.
Ropy milk. blue milk and other unde-
sirable changes are caused by bac-
terra Then besides milk may serve
RS a vehicle Of disease by harboring
disease-producing or pathogenic bac-
terra. Milk is an excellent food for
bacterial growth. and hence care must
be taken In the production of milk
to keep undesirable organisms out. II
the milk Is produced In q sanitary
manner 1t Is a good milk with few bac-
terra In It. II, on the other hand.
the milk is produced with careless
dirty methods. It Is a poor type of
milk with many bacteria present. some
OF which cause undesirable changes
and some OF which may even cause
disease among the users Of milk.
Bacteria may get into milk from
the following sources: The COW. peo-
pie who milk or handle the milk, the
milking utensils and last. the sur
roundinRs under which the milk Is
produced. Dirty conditions mean dir
ty milk: clean conditions mean a san
itary milk.
Let us consider the cow. 1t is OBJ
yious that II the cow Is caked with
manure. some OF the latter will get
into the milk. Manure is 40 per cent
by weight bacteria. II the COW is
suffering from tuberculosis 1t does
not cough or spit out the germs but
swallows them. They are then found
present in the manure. This Is the
way bovine, or cow tuberculosis. is
spread. Thirty per cent of tubercu-
| losls in children is caused by cows
| and is carried by milk. II the cow
| has a diseased udder. these organisms
Will get into the Lsfik. II the cow
! ~ dirty, and COW hairs and manure
| fall into the milk, the milk becomes
putrid with bacteria.
II the mixer Is not clean he too Is
a source OF danger. If he miiks In
cowhide boots caked with manure
some OF this material may get into
tho milk. ( he milks directly after
| coming from the toilet without wash
ing his hands, disease bacteria may
be introduced into the milk. II he
coughs or sneezss over the milk pail
there is still more danger OF the
spread OF disease through the milk.
The surroundings under which the
milk IS produced and the milking
utensils should be clean. If the barn
"a dusty and dirty, dust AMI dirt will
get into the milk and add more bao-
/ terra. These introduce putrefaction
bacteria that rot the milk Rotten
milk causes intestinal disorder In ba-
bies
II the manure is not handled prop
erly and disposed OF the cow will be-
come cRked with il. If the milking
utensils are not steriilzed or scalded
before being used the milk Is again
contaminated Many bacteria live
over In small particles OF dried milk.
You cannot get clean milk with
dirty utensils.
Milk IS responsible for more sick
ness and death than perhaps all other
foods combined. There are many rea-
sons for this: First, bacteria grow
well In milk and small infection NAV
produce widespread and serious re-
suits. For example, II the mixer
is recovering from a case OF typhoid
fever and communicates the milk, an
epidemic may result. Second, OF all
foodstpffs, milk is the most difficult
20 obtain, handle and transport In a
clean. sanitary condition. Third, Il
Is the most decomposible OF all our
foods. Fourth. milk is the only
standard article OF diet obtained from
animal sources that Is consumed in
ts raw state.
The diseases most commonly gnreas
NY milk are tuberculosis. typhoid fe-
yer. diphtheria. scarlet fever, septic
sore throat. foot and mouth disease,
milk sickness, summer complaint OF
children, diarrhoeal and dysentesio
diseases OF adults
Thousands of epidemics have been
traced to milk
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