Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-06-24
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Healthful Qualities of Milk.


In Give Minutes Talk on Health, -
in the New England Farmer, DIR. Pat
terson has few words to say on the
subject of milk:
1t is owing to the fact that milk so
easily( bsorbs the odor or infection of
anything with which it comes in close
contact, that this most valuable article
of food has often been brought into dis
repute. Like some people, it is known
by the company it keeps. Not only
must the stock from which the milk is
obtained be good, and the food proper
both in kind and quantity in order to
get good milk, but the right care must
be taken of it after it is produced.
This care consists first in providing
proper receptacles to hold it, and Sec
ond, proper place for the milk cans,
pans, pals, ETC., to be kept. It may
be laid down as rule, which never
should be violated, not to use milk uten-
sils for any other purpose than that for
which they were designed. Also all
rcceptacles used for holding milk
should be kept scrupulously clean; tin
and earthcn dishes should be washed
every day in boiling water and
thoroughly dried.
But it IS In the storage of milk that
additional care must be taken. It
is true this involves careful attention,
but it more than repays for the labor
expended. The main thing to be re-
membcred is to keep milk by itself.
Under no consideration should it be
placed in the cellar near vegetables, or
in close proximity to roots and herbs.
Milk will absorb emanations from any
or all of these substances, as quickly
as blotting paper will take up the ink
split upon the table. In the summer
time it is customary for many farmers
to place their milk in the well to keep
it cool. Now, where is the we'll To-
Gated, and what is the condition of the
water in it? These are important
questions, to which the health of our
own and any other families who may
use the milk demand attention.
In many of our country homes
throughout our rural districts of this
country, will be found cupboard in
one corner of the kitchen, where the
milk is usually kept. AS the kitchen
is often the Giving ROOM of the family,
especially in winter, we ask the qucs-
ton in all seriousness, is that the best
place for the milk? Think for mo-
ment of the cooking, washing, ironing
and other uses to which the kitchen is
put, to say nothing Of its use as the
farmers smoking room. Certainly
such a place is not fit to keep milk in.
Another important matter is the
keeping of milk in the sick room.
Never should any considerable quantity
be allowed to stand in the sick room of
a patient who is using milk-and it is
often better than medicine-let a glass
of it be placed on small table within
easy reach of the patient or nurse, but
certainly once every hour change the
milk and the tumbler. DO not fill up
the same tumbler until it has been
thoroughly washed. That infectious
diseases have been carried through the
medium of milk is a question settled be-
yond doubt. Fortunately we have
remedy against such further repetition
of this kind. 1t is found in boiling
the milk. A standard medical author
ity has stated "that none of the organ
isms to which the infectious diseases
are due can possibly withstand the
temperature of boiling MILK Let us
then by every possible care and caution
give heed to the obtaining and preserv-
alton of good, pure and fresh milk.