The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-17
OUR MILK AND DIARIES.

Some time ago the New Orleans Medical
and Surgical Association appointed COM
mittee. consisting Of Drs. Thomas Layton,
VIM. p Brewer, E. T. Shepard and Joseph
Holt. to investigate the sanitary condition OF
the dairies of this city. the animals therein
contained, and the quality of milk by them
furnished. After a long and lahorious session
the committee made a report, now issued IN
pamphlet form.
Over a year ago the DEMOCRAT published q
lengthy and exhaustive report on the same
subject, which is alluded to by this committee
az follows:
We would beg to make special mention OF the
W ,hs New 9 pub
lshed on the fourteenth Of April 1878. me
pictures therein so graphically drawn are
neither heightened In color nor exaggerated III
'o Pursuing the investigation much on the same
line as tuat made by the DEMOCRAT. the com
That there are 4 number of dairfes in the city
kept In good condition, but they are tar IN me
ana, a. i IL posses Tor ri the maslnaon
to licture In nearly III Of these the COWS are
kept closely confined in STALE, which they are
removed by dealh or sold to the butcher. In
these stables, too often constructed without the
least regard being pad to the supply 81 ,g q
heat and cold, COWS exc. out deplorable
existence: their hides are often uncared for and
ted to lie; their udders repulsive from dirt, ap-
parently no ATTEMPT having been made at re-,
moving this even before milking, Their tood
is the cheapest that can be procured and Is ire
quently Of very inferior Quality. The manner
IL which this food is fed TO the cattle Is often
eaI9eas end h .he esses e.
| tacles OF fermentation. =.
Swill Is not used at present, simply because It
| cannot be procured. but it is largely employed
during the months when the distilleries are III
| operation.
The ground over which many Of these
diaries are built displays most revolving
spectacle of putrid fermentation, and focal
matter Is there left to accumulate, pervadlng
the neighborhood with an intolerable stencil.
Analysis of the water given them to drink
from sipage wells showed strong impregna-
ton with dangerous elements. Water from
the same wells was often used to dilute the
milk. In proportion varying from one-tenth
to one-half.
The following extracts are quoted:
Your committee have examined q. number Of
specimens of the milk sold by milk carts and
| dealers In the dairies, streets and markets OF
sold ia Heavily wafered. Some Of the specimens
examined contained as much az thirty four
| parts of water to every hundred. The mtlkmen
1 who by the addition of these thirty -four parts
! OF water Ia smaller quantity would be just as
criminal rs far as the princip is concerned).
thus transform sixty-six parts OF milk into
one hundred, are they not In every res pect COM
parable to a tt adesman who makes use OF false
weights. or u man who passes counterfeit
money!
j Your committee have ascertained by cacu-
latfon based upon da'a carefully acquired that
the peop Q of New Orleans pay annually for the
water, often impure and DANGEROUS; which
they purchase as milk believing 1t to be milk.
the sum Of $22a.95o.
i In other words. our citizens, rich and poor,
but particularly the poor--for It ls into The SUD
ply obtained by the latter that the grehtest
i quantity OF water falls-are deliberately robbed
of that immense sum of money. cheated out OF
that amount of food. with nothing to show In
return for the sno fation, save this water ct
adulteration to enfeeble and sometimes d.
rectly poison their children and themselves.
This showing Is certainly grave and wor-
thy immediate consideration. In Paris, even
the removal OF cream from milk is made
criminal. New York, Boston, San Francisco,
Philadelphia, and indeed all the great cities
In the Union have long since framed stringent
laws for the prohibition of their citizens from
frauds and dangers In this regard, and exer-
else strict surveillance over the dairymen
and vendors of milk, In order to prevent the
) evils arising from unhealthy and adulterated
milk. It is not mere matter OF fastidious
ness, but an imperative demand OF health
that the existing evils be remedied by imme
diate and decisive legislation.