Milk may acquire a taint some time after milking, and still it may be due to direct absorption. If it should happen to be placed in a room with odouryielding substances, it can easily acquire it in a cold condition. Such belated absorption might be considered as due to germ origin, unless the conditions. were carefully determined.

ABSORPTION OF ODOURS FROM COWSHEDS.

It is a current belief that milk does not take up odours so long as it is warmer than the surrounding air, and on this ground the practice of leaving the milk in the cowshed for a longer or shorter period of time is sometimes defended, more especially if the cans are arranged so as to preclude the possibility of the introduction of dust and dirt. This belief is not infrequently formulated in this way:-Milk evolves odours when warmer, and absorbs them when colder, than the surrounding air.

Recent experiments made by the writer seem to indicate that such a general conclusion cannot be experimentally verified. Exposure of hot and cold milk to an atmosphere charged with various vapours and odours, such as manure, urine, ensilage, and different volatile substances, showed that almost without exception both hot and cold milk absorbed distinctive odours in the course of a few hours to such an extent that they could readily be detected. Moreover, the intensity of the odour was almost invariably more pronounced in the warm than the cold sample, although precautions were taken to have the temperature of both samples alike at time of judging.

This belief, that warm milk does not readily absorb odours, is contrary to the housewife's experience who allows warm milk or warm food to cool before putting it into the refrigerator. Being warmer than the surrounding air, it absorbs more readily the odours arising from fruit, vegetables, or other food substances, than would be the case if it was first cooled down. Such a condition is not due to the retention of the "animal odours," but direct absorption from without.

The practical bearing of this is that milk should not be kept in contact with air that is saturated with undesirable or marked odours. Even an exposure for a half-hour has sometimes been found sufficient to impregnate the milk with the odour of decomposing manure. The straining of the milk in the cowshed, and then its immediate removal, may not give time for the absorption of odours in a marked degree, but it should be borne in mind that the conditions at that time are the most favourable for the rapid absorption of any odours, and that in milk that is being produced in the best possible manner even such an exposure is not to be recommended.

MILK AS RELATED TO PUBLIC HEALTH.

The presence of bacteria interferes not only with the keeping quality of the milk, but affects the sanitary conditions of the same. Bacteria are also intimately connected with the production of disease that the mere mention of the word calls up to the minds of many dread visions of epidemics. That all bacteria should thus be considered as enemies of man is entirely erroneous, for, in many cases, they are decidedly beneficial, and particularly is this true with reference to those forms found in the milk. The mere fact that milk invariably contains hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of bacteria per cc. need not in itself cause alarm. Mere numbers of bacteria are no just criterion as to the hygienic value of milk. Of course, just to the extent that bacterial life can be reduced in milk, just to that extent are the decomposition changes retarded, but milk or its by-products, skim milk or buttermilk, may contain scores of millions of germs and still be perfectly wholesome from a hygienic point of view.

The bacteria that exert a deleterious influence on human health are not necessarily those that are distinctively disease-producing-i.e., pathogenic bacteria; for, in many cases, sickness is caused by the ingestion of milk that is contaminated by putrefactive organisms.

The bacteria that are of the most importance from a sanitary standpoint gain access to the milk in two ways:-(1) From a diseased condition of the cow; (2) subsequent to the withdrawal of milk from the animal.

No one will, willingly, consume milk from a diseased animal, yet it does not necessarily follow that the milk of all animals that are not in a condition of perfect health is not fit for use. Where the animal has a disease that also affects the human family, as in the case of tuberculosis, a danger exists that does not where the affection is confined to the bovine race.

TUBERCULOSIS AND PUBLIC HEALTH.

Perhaps more danger exists with reference to tuberculosis. than with any other animal disease. Its widespread distribution, its insidious development, and the not infrequent infection of the milk-yielding organs, makes this question one of great importance to public health. Since the introduction of the tuberculin test, and the recognition of a greater prevalence of this disease than was heretofore supposed, the relation of this quality to the purity of public milksuppliers has been made more prominent. While the extensive use of the tuberculin test is showing that the amount of bovine tuberculosis is much larger than was heretofore supposed, still it must not be considered that all animals that react to the test are actually in a condition where their milk supply is infectious. In much the larger number of cases of tuberculosis, the milk is entirely free from the specific organisms of this disease. Where the udder itself is involved, or where the disease is generalised throughout the lymphatic system, the milk very frequently contains disease germs in such quantities that infection of experimental animals results from the inoculation of small quantities of the milk.

The difficulty is that these conditions cannot be determined with certainty, and, therefore, there is always an element of uncertainty in using such milk. Then, again, suppose that the milk from a reacting animal was entirely free from contagious matter, how long would such a state continue is a question of practical importance. It not infrequently happens that an animal affected with a chronic latent type of the disease passes from such a stage to a more acute condition, where the disease makes rapid progress. Such a change often occurs as a sequel to some special tax on the system, as in calving, &c.

Therefore the only positively safe rule, as far as public milk supplies are concerned, is to reject the milk of all reacting animals, unless it is first treated in a way so as to destroy any tubercle germs that might be present.

There is another point that bears on the actual danger that exists in public supplies derived from mixed herds, and that is the influence of dilution of infected with healthy milk. The tubercle bacillus, unlike nearly all other disease-producing organisms, is unable to grow at ordinary air temperatures. It can thrive only at blood heat; therefore, if milk actually contains a certain number of tubercle organisms, these cannot increase in the milk after it is drawn from the cow.

The dilution of contaminated milk with milk from a number of other animals frequently diminishes the amount of infective virus per unit of volume to such an equal extent as to deprive it of its infective properties. Where the milk supply is derived from a single cow, special care should therefore be taken to determine whether the animal has bovine tuberculosis or not.

The conditions under which this disease is spread are of great importance, but this phase of the subject belongs more especially to a discussion of the general subject of bovine tuberculosis than to the relation of milk to public health.

DISSEMINATION OF DISEASE BY CONTAMINATION OF MILK SUBSEQUENT TO MILKING.

Milk affords a good culture medium for the development of a considerable number of disease germs that are unable to produce any diseased condition in the animal. These organisms gain access to the milk in a variety of ways, but, in general, they establish themselves through careless methods of handling the milk during, or subsequent to, its withdrawal.

TYPHOID FEVER.

The organism producing typhoid fever is able to withstand acids to a considerable degree; therefore, the natural increase in acidity in milk does not prevent the development of this disease organism, if it is once introduced into the milk. Scores of epidemics of this disease have had their origin traced to a contamination of the milk in a variety of ways. In some cases, the milker, convalescing from this disease, has resumed his work with the cattle, and thus given an opportunity for a direct transmission of the disease germs from the patient to the milk. More often the relation is an indirect one, the connecting link being some person who has served in the dual capacity of nurse and milker. One of the most marked epidemics that have occurred in recent years was traced to faulty methods of cleaning the cans. The cans were cleaned with soap and hot water, and treated as they should be, with the exception that they were rinsed with cold water from a very shallow well that had been infected with typhoid organisms coming from sewage contamination.

cases of typhoid fever, or, in fact, any other contagious disease, occur in the family of a dairyman, the greatest care should be exercised in order to prevent any possible contamination.

DIPHTHERIA AND OTHER DISEASES.

Diphtheria, scarlet fever, and cholera are diseases that are not infrequently spread by means of contaminated milk. The first two are, as a rule, disseminated through the medium of the air, so the infection of the milk must be guarded against with great care, where the disease is known to exist. Cholera is, usually, a water-borne disease, and the possible danger in this case is the same as in typhoid, where the utensils may be washed in infected water. The cholera organism is unable to withstand acids, and does not thrive in raw milk, but, nevertheless, a considerable number of instances have been noted where epidemics have been traced to the use of milk.

CHOLERA INFANTUM AND INTESTINAL DISORDERS.

The danger that exists from the foregoing diseases fades into comparative insignificance when we consider the intestinal disturbances in children, and their relation to the milk supply. To a very considerable extent, Cholera infantum, and the various intestinal difficulties that occur so frequently with young children, especially during the summer months, are due to the development of various species of bacteria that are present in the milk. These organisms belong to the putrefactive class, and, while not distinctively diseaseproducing, many of them are able to form poisonous substances therein, which, when absorbed into the susceptible digestive tract of young children, cause a variety of intestinal troubles.

The much higher mortality of bottle-fed, in comparison with breast-fed, infants, is attributable in a considerable degree to the infection of cows' milk that is used for food. The introduction of pasteurisation or sterilisation, by which germ life in the milk is destroyed, removes the cause, and thus prevents the formation of these poisonous compounds.

CHEESE-POISONING.

Cases of poisoning attributed to the eating of various foods by adults is also to be traced, in many instances, to a similar cause. Poisoning from eating cheese, ice-cream, and sometimes milk, is not infrequently recorded. Professor Vaughan, of Michigan, has succeeded in separating a highly toxic substance from cheese that had been used as food, and has given to it the name tyrotoxicon (cheese poison). He has also been able to find certain kinds of bacteria which when inoculated into milk and fed to animals would produce symptoms of violent poisoning. In almost every case where it has been possible to trace such a trouble back to its source, it has been determined that the milk had been kept under faulty conditions, where the opportunity for the development of these putrefactive bacteria was present. Hoard's Dairyman.

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTHERN COLONIES. In view of the work done by our own ever-increasing butter factories and creameries, it is interesting to note what our neighbours are doing in this direction. From our southern exchanges we select a few of the factories in Victoria and New South Wales for the purposes of comparison with our Queensland business :

VICTORIA.

DROUIN.-There are now sixty suppliers at the Poowong Butter Factory' and the amount disbursed amongst them last pay-day was £400. The output, which is gradually increasing, is 3 tons of butter per week, and the price paid for cream according to the butter result is 74d. per lb. Milk-suppliers are rapidly increasing, and dairy men generally look forward to an excellent season. The continuous heavy rains have so saturated the soil that it would take a severe drought to seriously injure the grass.

EUROA. The Tamleugh and Karramomus Butter Factory during October received 79,652 gallons of milk, which yielded 33,627 lb. of butter. The directors paid the suppliers 23d. per gallon for milk testing 36. The company's agent shipped 573 cases to London, the balance being sold in the Melbourne market, realising top prices.

GRANVILLE.-Mr. Potts, the chemical dairy expert, with Mr. Crowe, visited the Bass Valley Cheese and Butter Factory on Thursday, and expressed themselves as highly pleased with its management and condition. The experts delivered a suitable lecture to the children in the Bass Valley State School, and also at night in the local hall, to a good attendance of farmers and dairy men.

KILMORE.-The Kilmore Dairy Company received the following milk supply for the week ended 5th October:-Factory, 5,710 gallons; Moranding creamery, 3,052 gallons; Tallarook, 2,451 gallons; High Camp Plain, 1,998}; Wallan, 2,031 gallons. Total, 15,2474 gallons. The supply for week ended 22nd October was 13,458 gallons, and for week ended 29th October 14,992 gallons, so that the return shows a gradual increase.

POOWONG.-The balance-sheet of the Butter Factory Company for the half year ended 31st August shows a loss of £27 5s. 9d. The factory was closed for the greater part of the term, owing to the effects of the bush fires in January. The factory is now in full work, and is turning out nearly 4 tons of butter per week. The supply is rapidly increasing, there being abundance of grass.

SHEPPARTON.-At the Shepparton Butter Factory the milk supply for October totalled 200,513 gallons, being an increase of 38,670 gallons over the amount received the previous month. The average test for the whole supply was a fraction over 3'6, and the price paid for the milk was at the rate of 2§d. per gallon on a 36 standard. The highest individual average test was again obtained by Mr. Milenik, of Kialla West Creamery, who was paid on a 44 percentage for the month, Mr. McKendry, of Arcadia, being second on the test with a 41 average.

The Shepparton Butter Factory is turning out unsalted butter for export, the directors being under the impression that this class of butter will find a good demand in some parts of England.

WARRACKNABEAL.-Business in the local butter factory is most satisfactory. The manager reports that 27,233 gallons of milk were received during October, and that 3,000 lb. more butter were made than during October last year.

YARRAM.-At the October monthly meeting of directors of the South Gippsland Butter Factory, £1,110 8s. Sd. was paid suppliers for milk for the four weeks ending 11th instant. The number of gallons separated was 93,366,