The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-08-06
EVILS OF IMPURE MILK.

EVILS OF IMPURE MILK. w
observations Of thu City Health oG,cer
whsoling's Supply. nar J
In his forthcoming report City Healt
: Officer Garrison makes tho following ol
seFvasions on the subject OF Wheeling
milk supply: s1.,aAS
9 While much diecussion Is being he
: upon the subject Of impure water as
cause Of disease and increased n,o,.al;,
s IN this city, there arc other things prpv
nant with Ill health, and which haye :,
large influence on the mortality ratc q
this city. ;'L a.r 5ta n "',I'S
Among these there arc none moro DO
TENT, ana yet none more easy to remedy
shaii the sale Of adultcrated or impur,
: milk. 81 10 ~ 'r'H,ti
Cows milk Is one OF the most yaluei
articles OF food. The ltudy OF It's coil
position shows 1t 10 he model of food
perfectly adapted to the needs Of the hu
man economy. II constitutes tho eolt
food OF thousands OF infants aud sick
persons, and enters very penerallv into
tho diet Of most indiyiduals,
The quantity Of milk sold daily In
wheeling is at low estimate 0OOO
quarts, which at a valuation 0f elk cents
quart, ,represents daily expenditure
OF 5000 ior this ono article OF food. The
3650.00 quarts OF milk consumed IN
each year cost about $4,000. IT is
Therefore Of great Importance that d
trade OF Such vast proportions, involving
a commodity which enters into the diet
OF most persons, which is ut times The
sole article Of food OF large proportiop
OF the community, should be placed
under Official regulation both for econ.
omic and sanitary reasons. The necess-
ity for such regulation exists because the
sale OF adulterated and impure milk is a
common practice, and one which citi.
rzens In their individual capacity are
powcriess to prevent. The result OF
such practiceis IS loss Of money and injury
OF health to the consumer.
Until 1888, Of the l2O,OO0,OcO quarts Of
milk annually brought to New York
City, 10000, ,00aquatts we're added water.
the cost Of this water being ali ant -.
10000. investigation Of the milk trail. |
hc III every city, almost, shows thut the ]
adulteration by water alone amounts
to about one.third OF tho volume sold. !
OF course Wheeling has no such wicked |
mix dealers, or perhaps the nrt OF adut. |
teration has not been brought to such |
high state as in some other cities: but
provided the same conditions OF traffic
existed here as elsewhere, of the 8, 1850.
080 quarts OF milk annually cold in this
city, l,2lG,0O0 quarts would DO added
water, and the cost Of this water would |
be about $4,000. 5', "c,T'
Injury to health which results from
The use OF milk that has been adulterated
or is impure is due to its deficiency In
nutritive value or to the specific causes
OF such diseases as scarlet fever, tnber.
culosls, anthrax Or malignant pustule,
foot-and.mouth disease, or to some alb.
normal condition impaired to it by the
COW, or arising after the milk has been
taken from the gland. The milk NAV
be poisoned from the use OF improper
iood Or. from improper management.
Iyroto5lcon, an organic poison, is some
times thus produced, its effect upon the
young infant being very serious. -
The addition OF water, the most COM
mon form Of adnlteratioD, which depre-
ciates the nutritive value of milk, is a
more serious oaense than commonly
supposed. The thousands OF Young in.
fants and sick persons who use milk &C
their sole article Of food arc deprived
thereby Of the necessary nourishment;
in the one case leading to slow s,arya.
non, IN the other to consequences which
may destroy the chances OF recovery in
the critical period Of diseases.
In m address delivered before the
"Tr.istate Sanitary Convention" held |
at Wheeling, February 81 aud IS, 1890,
Professor John A. Myers, Director oi
the West Virginia Agricultural Station,
said: The milkrDan who skiing his
milk and then waters it is a eaint, and
deserves front pew among the most
pious, compared with him who brings
the milk Of diseased eows-such as those
suffering from tuberculosis, liberated
udders, diseased jointa or swollen glands,
or from COWS fed upon the decomposiug
swills and s!ops OF various manufac.
tories, or waters bis cows with water
laden with all the disease germs -four.
ishing in sewage. There should be
very stringent laws passed aud enforced
against this class OF citizens who deal
out death at the rate Of eight centsa
quart to our children" Al ,5''i.-'... ).
There is no law in this city to prevent
the sale Of adulterated or impure milk,
and an ordinance should be passed pro.
viding for carrying into effect the pro-
visions OF section 20 Of chapter $50 OF the |
Code OF West Virginia, which reads as
follows: III fapersou fraudulently aduI. |
terats for the purpose Of sale, anythingI
intended for food or drink, or If he
knowingly sell or barter anything in
tended for food or drink, which is not
what It is represented to be, or what it |
is sold for, he shall be confined in Jail
not more than one year, aud fined not
exceeding five hundred dollars; and
the adulterated or other articles shall
be forfeited and destroyed"