The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-01-15
Diseased Milk.


authorities of the city of Brooklyn, which has de-
yo0ped startling disclosures in regard 10 the
sale of dseas ed milk. 4 large milk establishment
was burned down. and the neigLbors Iemonstr rated
against its re-establisbnent. The subject was re-
ferred to a committee of the Common Council and
their report now made public exhibits one of the
most s erfOus causes of intantile mortality, They
show that the nuisance which the petitioners de-
sire to continue and aggravae, in its effects not
confined to any particular locality. but wide.
spread and increasing. q hen these stables were
first built there were less than three hundred
stalls, occupied by the owners, who took especial
care that no nuisance should arise from them
There now about 1900 stalls, occupied by liffe-
rent tenants. who care little about the cleanliness
of the stables. which generally in most filthy
condition. In these stables peculiar disease has
prevailed among the cows for twelve years past
and many still continue to die from it, The only
remedy that has been found is to cut Il slit in the
| cow tail, and insert some of the matter from a
dead cows fBngs. All fresh cows. introduced in
these stables are SO innoculated. The tail generally
falls off, and about one COW in five dies Or rs-
moving the skin, the whole Of the bind part of the
body will be found in many instances in Il state of
modification. While the cows are under the in
nuence of the incubation, they are MIXED with
the others. and the milk sold. Sometimes cows
take tho disease mouths after they have passed
| through the inHoculation. In snch cases. if in or
der. they always sold Immediately TO the butch
er, to be dressed for eating. Fresh cows are more
liable take the disease than those that have been
n,
come more liable to die from the disease because
| the disease instead of passing of in the milk is
drawn TO the lungs, and the COW dies.
Milkmen disagree as to the cause OF this disease
some cnntending that il was imported from Eu
rope, others that il arises from a new method of
distillng, in which strychnne is employed In
proof OF it they point to the where the COWS
swell up aud die after an hours sickness with eve
ry appearance of being poisoned, and to the fact
that il is but seldom that any other than swiIlfed
animals, kept In distillery stables, suffer from it.
The more intelligent opinion is that there are two
diseases,one the effect of the poison la the swil
| the other lingering disease, similar to consumI-
| tion. which undoubtedly proceeds from the state
of the stables and the mode Of feeding.
The committee quote the report adopted by the
| New York Academy Of Medicine, March |, 1S4s n
| regard to the effects Of swil milk on the general
health Of the city The results arrived at in that
| report are such might have been expected, and
| are contained in the following resolution:
"RfSo'ret, That in the opinion of this academy.
the milk of cows slut up ln stables and fed dis.
tery sops is not only less nutritious than that Of
unconhned and wellied animals but it is positively
,loleter ous especially to young children and is
| fruitful cause OF many fatal diseases"
| Not only by the opinion Of the physicians thus
expressed, but by other considerations, the COM
mIttee are justified in ascribing to the of swi
milk the increase Of infant mortality, which is
citing so much apprehension in the minds OF think
| ing people who examine the statistics.
Although the analysis of swill milk shows moth
| ing very bad on its face, it must be remembered
that 1t requires nothing very injurious to act un
Ltayorably on an infant. But Is does require some
| thing very good aud wholesome to nourish and
raise that tender plant, especially when il wholly
| depends on 1t for sustenance and life. A trifng
cause will injuriously affect this milk of a woman
and strict injunctions given by the physicians
as to the food she may An orange, or a few
drops of acid. or little over exertion will a. once
aifecEthe milk, and cause il to disagree with the
child; yet3y analysis but little if any difference
will be foahd. Ii such slight will injurious
ly affect the milk and cause 1t to disagree with
and sicken the chi;S, the effects au infant, OF
milk from sick sswi'Ifed cows, cooped up in hot
stables fed ON hotSsaill, breathing the SAME fetid
air over and over Again--their lu1gs destroyed and
| the poisonous secretions passing of in the milk in
stead of by the luDgs-can easily be Imagined
in its operation upon children must powerfully
conduce to predspose the constitutions OF the Vi
gorous aud mature to all sorts. of diseases.-Istu
AHericaR.