The record-union., 1893-07-08
ANOTHER MILK EXPOSURE.

In view Of the outbreak of typhoid
ever in Oakland, it having its genesis in
bad milk, and now happily abating
the Board of Health of San Fran
cisco commissioned a surgeon as Dairy
Inspector to ascertain the character of
the milk furnished to the people of San
Francisco. The inspector entered upon
his duties on Wednesday, and after one
days work makes a report that is more
than startling. In that one day he found
two dairy COWS with tuberculosis in a
herd of one hundred animals. But the
two were sufficient to poison 10000 peo-
pie using their milk, and to infect the
whole herd of the dairy. In the same
dairy where this discovery was made he
found the buildings filthy in which the
milk is placed to cool. He found the
sides of the can-washing wood tubs Gov
cred with a slime that is dangerous, and
the water itself coated with green slime
Next to the milk house stands a pool Of
he found the COW house filthy in the ex-
treme, and the COWS roaming in disease
breeding bog, into which the rising tide
brings the filth of Butchertown. In the
third dairy visited the food fed to the
cows was found to be sour and rancid.
1t appears that the surgeon was Milk
lnQnnRtnr q nd Fo
months. In that time he found that
nearly all the dairies local to San Fran
cisco were in unhealthful condition and
liable to disseminate disease. He found
consumptive cattle in nearly all the
herds. He found many places where
cows were so diseased that he had to kill
them at once, and he discovered also that
at many of the dairies the animals wade
and wallow in filth and ooze of the most
dangerous character. At one of these
dairies he shot as many as twenty-three
cows that were rotten with disease, but
the milk of which was peddIed to the
people.
As to the adulteration of milk the sur
geon declares that it is in and about San
Francisco almost universal. A rich,
creamy color is given to the fluid by the
addition of chemical agencies, burnt
sugar playing large part in the process.
AS rule, he says, ''the cheaper the milk
the worse the adulteration.'' The chemi-
calls used are openly advertised in the
press, and there appears to be no secresy
of the fact that water is added to milk
and consistency restored by adulteration.
The surgeon reports that he would not
hold the office of Milk Inspector regular
for $500 a month, simply because its
duties are so disagreeable and the offers
of bribery are so persistent. He de-
clares that he was offered as high as 81. 900
to simply put into his report the state
ment that certain rich people are taking
impure milk, the purpose being to secure
the trade of certain heavy consumers.
This is a startling matter to report.
and when it is considered that out OF
eighteen samples of milk examined by
the surgeon in one day he found the
tubercle bacilh in seven. we can readily
imagine what would be found in the ex-
animation of the one hundred other
samples that can be taken from the cans
of the milk supply of San Francisco
daily. The odd, not to say the shameful.
thing about all this business is, that this
same ground is travelled over every year
or two in nearly all large cities. The
milk sensation would seem to come on
as regularly as the trade winds. But
nothing is ever done long about it. After
a squirt of Indignation the excitement dies
away. and the Boards of Health lose
their interest in the matter for year or
two more, until something happens to
bring on another scare.
What is the matter? Is it really i'm
possible to protect the food milk supply
from fraud9 The cities have their meat
inspectors who very successfully prevent