Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-26
OUR MILK SUPPLY
The Requirements of the Last Dairy
Law.
ITS PROTECTIVE FEATURES
Restraints on Producers and Ship
pers Out of the District.
STRICTER LAW ESIRED

Shortly before the adjournment of the
last Congress measure was enacted
| which. it is thought. is likely to cause
considerable trouble in the prosecution of
persons for selling impure, watered and
adulterated milk, and, because of the nu-
| merous difficulties in the way of prosecu-
tons, none of the dealers has been called
into court since the law was enacted Re-
| Gently. however. Prof. Hird, the chemist
| in the health department. gathered few
samples, and when the result of the analy-
sis is known a case may be taken into
court to test the law. While the law is
| very rigid one, 1t gives the dealers GER
tain rights and privileges heretofore not
enjoyed by them. In addition to protect
ing the consumers from being furnished
| with adulterated milk, the law gives the
| health officer power over the shippers, who
are required to ship only pure milk, and
their stables and COW sheds are required
to be kept in good condition.
There are other powers given to the au-
| thorities. as shown in the several sections
Of the law.
Permits for Diaries.
The law says that no person shall keep
a dairy or dairy farm within the District
Of Columbia without permit from the
health officer. Application for a permit
must be made in writing, upon a form pre-
scribed by said health officer, and no APP
plcant for permit is restrained from con-
Quoting business until his application has
been acted upon. 1t is the duty of the
health officer. upon receipt of an applica-
ton in due form to make or cause to be
made an examination of the premises which
1t is intended to use for a dairy or CARRY
farm, and If. after examination, the prem
1SeS are found to conform with the regula-
tions, the health officer shall issue the
permit without charge. subject to suspen-
sion or revocation at any time, without
notice. whenever the milk supply from
any dairy or dairy farm is exposed to in
lection by Asiatic cholera, anthrax, diph-
liberia, erysipelas, scarlet fever, smallpox,
splenic fever, tuberculosis typhoid fever
typhus fever or yellow fever, so as to rem
der Its distribution dangerous TO public
health. No person shall bring or send into
the District of Columbia for sale any milk
without a permit, and the application for
q permit must be accompanied by such
detailed description Of the dairy farm or
dairy where said milk is produced or stored
as the health officer may require, and by
sworn statement as to the physical ccnGi-
ton of the cattle supplying the milk.
Outside Diaries.
If the health officer is satisfied that the
milk to be brought into the District of
Columbia for sale or consumption will
cause no dhnger to public health, he must
issue, without charge to the applicant a
permit, on condition that none but pure
and unadulterated milk shall be- with
knowledge of its impurity, brought into
the District; and that in the management
of the dairy dairy farm the applicant
shall be governed by the regulations of
the health office of the District of Column
bia, approved by the Commissioners of the
District OF Columbia, when these regula
tons do not conflict with the law of the state
in which diaries or dairy farms are located,
and that such dairy dairy farm may be
inspected at any time without notice by the
hool !, ofE@ oF n.
appointed representative. And it is also
provided that the permit may be suspend
ed or revoked at any time without notice
whenever the milk supply from such dair-
les outside the District may be exposed to
contagious disease.
No Diseased Workmen.
1t is also provided that no person suffer-
ing from contagious diseases, or who has
knowingly, within period specified by the
health officer, been exposed to such dis
cases. shall. work or assist in or about any
dairy or dairy farm.
All milk wagons must have the name of
the owner. the number of permit, and the
location of dairy painted on them.
All grocers, bakers, and other persons
offering milk for sale must at all times
keep the names of the dairymen from
whom the milk on sale is obtained posted
up in conspicuous place where it is kept
for sale.
No person can offer or have for sale any
unwholeSome watered, or adulterated
milk, or milk known as swill milk, or milk
from COWS that are fed swill garbage
or other like substance, nor any butter or
cheese made from any such milk. All milk
must contain at least II per cent of total
milk solids, Of which at least per cent
shall be of fat. SKINNED milk must con-
tain BIO per cent of milk solids, inclu-
sive of fat. Skinned milk must be labeled
as such in letters al least an inch long, 1t
is unlawful to sell or offer for sale milk
from a COW less than fifteen days before
or ten days after parturition, or from any
cow which is known to be suffering from
tuberculosis, splenic fever, anthrax, or any
general or local disease which is liable to
render the milk unwholesome. The health
officer has power to isolate infected and
unhealthy COWS, and to force dairymen to
have proper water supply and coed
stables.
The Babcock Test.
Section ID of the act provides the manner
in which the samples are to be obtained
and this, 1t is thought will cause trouble
to the authorities the section reading:
That in all cases of sampling milk taken
for analysis shall be taken, examined and
analysed in the presence of at least two wit
resses one Of whom may be the owner of
the milk or his agent; and in all cases such
sampling shall be made according to the
Babcock- method, to wit dumping the milk
from one can to another not less than twice
tefore sampling i
rms secton OIL the act Is obviously re-
suit of inaccurate language. The Babcock
method or test does not consist Ito wit"
as the clause would make it appear of
dumping milk from one can to another
twice or airy number of times. There is
machine called the Babcock tester invented
by DIR. Babcock of Wisconsin, and Endorsed
by experiment stations all over the coun-
try, by which advanced dairymen are now
adays testing the milk of each individual
cow IN their herds, and wedding out poor
animals winch do not produce milk up to
standard in quantity sufficient to make
them profitable to keep and feed. This Bah
cock stester is as near like the little ma
chine used by soda water men to produce |
milk shakes as anything else. 1t is |
simple, easily manipulated, and, it is
claimed. unerring in its results The inten- |
ton, doubtless, was in this section of the |
law to bring 1t into use in the District.