Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-24
THE C1rY's MILK SUPPLY.
rhe People Unprotected Against Impure
and Adulterated Milk-The Importance
of a Milk TnsnecfOr

The People Unprotected against Impure
and Adulterated NIilk-The Importance
of a Milk Inspector.
Savannah is at the mercy of the dairy
men for its supply Of pure milk. The
daily consumption of milk in the city is
estimated to be somewhere between I, 200
and 800 gallons. There is no law regu-
lating its sale and no means of ascertain
ing, except at the expense of the cOnsum-
er, whether it is pure or whether it is
Impure and diluted. In most cities
there are means provided for ascer-
tanning the quality OF milk SOLD,
what kind Of food each dairyman
feeds his cows, whether they are allowed
to run out on pasture, and all the facts
regarding the premises where they are
kept. This matter usually deVOlVes upon
the Health Department. There are no
methods employed by the authOrlles %
this city to protect the consumers OF mix
IN any way. There is no provision LOT the
INSPECTION OF milk, and consumers are
absolutely at the mercy Of the dealers iOr
a Dure article unless they can detect
adulteratiOn themselves.
Inquiry at the hotels and of other large
consumers has developed the
fact that While occasionally
traces of adulteration by the
rule the average Savannah dairyman has
more confidence in the ability of his cows
as milk producers than in his pump. and
generally steers clear Of the latter.
savannah has not reached the mOlas-
ses, chalk and water stage of milk adul-
iteration yet" SAID Health Officer McFar-
land. when questioned on the subject. Il
think that when milk leaves the dairy
here il is generally pure, but have heard
Of instances in which the drivers Of milk
wagons have been known to add
a little water after leaving the dairy.
They have. of course, certain quantity
of milk to account for, and if they can
swell the quantity in the cans by water
Ing it, they Will be the amount of water
they NAV put III ahead when they return,
and the owner of the dairy and the pur-
chaser of the milk will be none the wiser.
l think the only kind of adulteratiOn to
he feared in Savannah is the addition of
water. and that generally the men who
send out the milk are not to blame"
DR.. Mcfarland is Of the opinion, how
ever. that the city should have milk in
spectOr, authorized to stop wagons at any
time in the streets and test the milk by
the use of the lactemeter.
No license Of any kind is required OF
diaries, and if one was required, the dali
rymen living outside of the city
limits. il is stated, come under
the State law prohibiting cities
from imposing a license or tax on
persons selling their own products in the
city. There are no official means, there
fore. OF estimating the amount of milk
sold, OF the number of persons engaged in
the dairy business. 1t is calculated,
however, that about - dairies do most Of
the business. There are a few per-
sons Of course, who keep one or
two COWS and peddle milk about the
city Most of the dairies are situated
| beyond the CITY limits or the stock is
kept there. A careful estimate OF the
quantity Of milk consumed daily, based
on data furnished by diaries and con-
sumers-the persons who keep their own
cows being considered in the estimate
brings the total up to considerably over
900 gallons This estimate includes
private families, hotels and bakeries. The
value of this milk is estimated at about
5000 a day. This is large and import
ant interest, and, as milk is consumed IN
| almost every family, it certainly looks as
| though something should be done to- in
| crease the sale of a pure article.
There is no article Of food" said a
gentleman well up in sanitary mat
| tiers, that viii more readily
convey disease into the human
| body than milk. 1t is more susceptible
| to disease germs than any other article Of
| tU0u. AMONG the NUMEROUS luSJdlCto
related in medical works of disease be-
| coming epidemic by means Of milk | re-
member an instance in one of the leading
cities where typhus fever made fearful
rayages upon human life IN certain
part of the city in question. 1t was finally
discovered that all the families originally
| affected with the disease obtained their
milk OF q certain dairy. The dairy was
| examined and found clean and in good
| condition, but it was discovered that the
| spring at which the COWS drank and from
| which the water TO wash the
| cans was taken had become i'm
pregnated to some extent with water
| from a grave not far away by means Of
/ the long roots of a tree. Various other
curious instances can be found of disease
| germs finding their way into the human
| BODY by means of milk. The COWS should
| be Kept in clean places, furnished with
pure water and food and the milk cans
/ washed in pure water and thoroughly
/ dried to insure pure milk. When these
| facts are considered and the dangers that
may arise from adulteratiOn, the wisdom
/ Of the cities that have provided for a
| thorough inspection of milk Is apparent"
While the complaint is not general, there
| is a good deal of talk in the city concern
| ing the necessity for employing some
means to insure the purity Of the milk
peddled on the streets. 81 know l get
plenty Of water in my milk said one
\ consumer, land | wish there was way
| TO put an end TO it,