rage germ content was 442,000; in cans washed in tepid
water and then scalded--the best farm practice--54,000, and in cans
carefully washed and then steamed for five minutes, 880.

Another method used by the writer is to wash the utensil with 100 cc.
sterile wash water, using a sterile swab to remove dirt. Then repeat the
process twice or more with fresh rinsing waters, making plate cultures
from each. The following data were obtained from three such
determinations:

No. bacteria in different washings. Total No.
I. II. III. bacteria.
7,800,000 1,450,000 49,000 9,299,000
283,000 43,400 35,000 361,400
1,685,000 105,000 61,400 1,851,400

~Infection of milk in udder cavity.~ A frequently neglected but
considerable factor of infection is that which is attributable to the
bacteria which are present in the udder and which are removed in large
numbers during the milking process. An examination of the fore milk, i.
e., the first few streams from each teat, and that which is subsequently
withdrawn, generally reveals a very much larger number of organisms in
the fore milk.[7] Not infrequently will this part of the milk when drawn
under as careful conditions as possible, contain several score thousand
organisms per cc. If successive bacterial determinations are made at
different periods of the milking, as shown in the following experiment,
a marked diminution is to be noted after the first portion of the milk
is removed:

_Bacterial content at different periods of milking._

Fore 200th 2000th 4300th 6500th Strippings.
milk. cc. cc. cc. cc.
Expt. 1 6,500 1,700 475 220 75 5
Expt. 2 8,100 1,650 400 240 50 10

By some observers it has been claimed that it is possible to secure
absolutely sterile milk in the strippings but this is rarely so. It is
quite probable that such reported results are due to the fact that too
small quantities of milk were used in the examinations and so erroneous
conclusions were drawn. This marked diminution in numbers indicates that
the larger proportion of the organisms found in the fore milk are
present in the lower portion of the udder and milk ducts. When
consideration is given to the structure of the udder, it is readily
apparent that infection will be greater here than above.

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