OCR Text |
Show BACTERIOLOGY OF MILK. A Study of Germs It Contains Emphasizes Empha-sizes Importance of Cleanliness. Tho bacterial contonts of milk Is a matter that Is taking much of tho attention of scientists. Somo of tho cities of tho east liavo passed laws that no milk shall bo sold that contains con-tains mora than half n million bacteria bac-teria per cubic centimeter. Ononis nl-most nl-most staggered by tho thought of such a number In ns little quantity of milk ns is Indicated by tho cubic centimeter, cen-timeter, for that Is less than a cubic Inch. A centimeter Is about ono-thlr-ty-nlnth of a yard, bolng less thnn nn Inch. That, cubed, gives tho cubic contlmoter, which tho scientists in-dlcato in-dlcato by "cc." if milk with 000,000 bactorla in every cubic ccntlmotor bo allowed to bo sold, how numorous must tho bactorla bac-torla bo in somo milk? Well, tho Oklahoma Ok-lahoma station mado a bacteriological examination of somo milk that came to tho station aftor It was 3 3-10 days old. Every cubic centimeter of that milk contained 402,000,000 bacteria. bac-teria. Tho milk delivorcd In winter when It was flvo days old contalnod 134,800,000 bacteria. In summer the first thrco days aftor the milk was drawn saw a steady Increase In-crease in tho number of bacteria, and In wlntor tho bactorla Increased for four days aftor tho milk was drawn. Aftor that tlmo tho bactorla decreased, de-creased, being destroyed by tho products of tho germs themselves. In tho summer months a very large number of the bactorla wcro gas-producing. This Bhows how necessary It Is to liavo tho milk as clean as1 possible. It must not bo supposed that these bactorla woro disease germs, for such Is not tho Idea. Somo germs aro brlngcrs of dlseaso nnd somo aro not. Somo aro harmless or improvo tho food In which thoy exist. Hut it is recognized that slnco tho disease germs nro numorous at first in milk tho smallor tho numbor of nil germs tho smallor Is likely to bo tho number num-ber of dlseaso germs. Moreovor, oven tho lactic acid ferments hasten tho souring of tho m II If, and that destroys de-stroys It far somo of tho purposes for which It is bought in cities. The germ content Is therefore limited by law. |