Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-07
THE CITYS MILK SUPPLY
The Bill Prepared by the Attorney for
the District.
The Present Regulations Are Not Re-
garded ~ Sumcient-An Important
Change Recommended.

"Give us good milk" That is the cry of
the citizens, and that is just what the Com
missioners of the District are trying to com.
pei the milk dealers to do The regulations
on the subject are meager and insufficient
Some days ago the matter of better regu-
lations on this subject was called to the at
tention OF the Commissioners and after some
discussion, during which all the Commits
sioners expressed themselves as heartily in
favor of better regulations, the matter was
referred to S. T. Thomas. the attorney for
the District, with Instructions to draft a
Dill to be submitted to Congress for enact
ment to prevent the sale of adulterated
milk In the District of Columbia.
Attorney Thomas submitted this bill to
the Commissioners several days ago and
the latter sent it to the Medical Society of
the District with the request that the
members examine it's provisions and sub
NIT any recommendations they thought
necessary.
Present Laws Defective.
The main features of this bill are taken
from the health regulations of the city of
Cincinnati and do not differ essentially
from the laws and regulations on the SUBJ
}ect found In the other cities of the coun-
try. The occasion and necessity for the
proposed legislation, says the attorney lies
IA the Idct tnat our laws IN relation to
milk adllteration (health ordinances, Rich.
Supp. U. s. Rev. Stat, 307, and the act of
Congress Of october II, 1888, 25th stat,
$40. to prevent the sale of adulterated food
or drugs relate only to deIeterfous SUBJ
stances injurious to health, and then there
Is no official standard for milk. 1.-The pres
emit law does not prevent such frauds as
the addition Of water and the subtraction
OF cream-in other words, passing off
SKINNED milk or partly SKINNED milk, nor
such practices as the addition of sugar
10 correct specific gravity flour or starch
10 increase opacity, and a touch of colorlng
matter to destroy the blush tinge which
would betray SKINNED milk, any one of
winch may not be considered deleterious or
Injurious to health.
When 1t Is considered that milk and its
product3 form such an important part of
the FOOD OF man, and especially in young
ana delicate infants. the proprfety of such a
law as Is proposed becomes manifest New
cows milk of average good quality contains
IN IOO parts: 81 of watery fluid. 3.43 of
cream, o.42 OF casien (cheese), 512 of milk
sugar and .93 of mineral matter Section
OF the proposed bill fixes the official
standard at 81 per cent fer water and l3
per cent for milk solids, which, as you will
observe, is slightly below the average. 1t
has been suggested that the health officer
should have power to inspect dairies out
side the District. doubt the right of Con-
gress to confer such authority. 1 think if
milk dealers are required to have a permit
from the health officer, which shall expire
on July OF EACH year, that official will see
to 1t that those granted permits treat
their cows prop erly. and that their dairies
are In good sanitary condition. and that in
other respects they conform to the require
ments of the law. The penalty provided by
the bill seems to be adequate to secure its
enforcement, should IT become a law