The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-03
THE cITYS MILK SUPPLY.
THE HEALTH OFFICER URGES 4
RIGID LAW REGULATING 1T.

Unsanftary Surroundings of Diaries
and the Sources From which Sa-
vannahians Get Their MiIk-Dr.
Runner Gives Facts and Figures
to show why Cows should Not BE
Kept within the City Lfmits-The
Majority of Persons Keeping Cows
in the City Unable TO Comprehend
the Necessity for Proper SANTA
ton.
The manner in which the question of
Sayannah's milk supply was dealt with
by the health officer in his last report
has been generally discussed by milk con-
sumers and dairymen since a synopsis
of the report was published in the Morn
ing News a few days ago.
The facts as to the treatment Of milch
cows and the conditions under which the
milk is produced, as given by DIR. Brun-
ner, do not furnish very pleasant food
for reflection TO consumers, which
means practically the entire population
of the city. If. as DIR. Drummer says, the
sanitary conditions under which the milk
ID pIOuutGus are Ddu ana ldDAt u DLO-
Vnote the development and spread of
disease, then the subject is one worthy
of the immediate attention of the au-
thorities and the milk offered for sale
should be subjected to rigid inspection.
DR.. Brunner's recommendation that the
city enact an ordinance prohibiting the
keeping Of COWS within the city is likely
TO bring down the wrath of the owners
of the cows upon his head and excite a
storm Of opposition should council make
any move to put his recommendation into
effect. 1t cannot be said that there are
any indications that such is likely to be
done at present. The facts adduced by
DR.. Drummer in his report were taken
from paper read by him before the san
itary board some time last spring nearly
a year ago, when he made the same re-
concentrations as those embodied in his
annual report. The board did not see fit
TO take any action and the matter was
not passed upon by the last council, or,
If considered, was considered in caucus
and buried there. DR.. Drummer was seen
yesterday by a Morning News reporter
and asked if he had any further argu-
ment to offer other than that made by
him in his report
There is nothing further to be said,'
said DR.. Drummer II have stated the
matter as plainly as it could be stated
in my report. 1t is now with council to
act as il may deem best. There is not one
reason which can be offered from san
itary standpoint why cows should be al
lowed to be kept within the city limits
while there are twenty good reasons which
can be urged against it. The majority of
the cows kept in the city are kept in
narrow, filthy stalls and from their sur
roundings it is impossible that pure milk
should be produced by them. Most Of the
persons keeping COWS in the city are not
capable of understanding the necessity
for cleanliness in every detail OF the
process of producing, handling and dis
posing of milk. No attention is paid by
them to sanitation and in many instances
the vessels in which the milk is kept are
unclean. The cows are fed on improper
food, Stops and swill forming a large part
of their food and are allowed to drink
the filthy water from the Bilbo canal and
surface water generally. 1t is not posi-
Bile that pure, nutritious milk should be
produced under such circumstances. In
the census made by the sanitary inspec-
tors last spring, 1t was found that cows
were kept in 1l9 places in the city east
of Price street and in 63 places in Yam
acraw In the whole city there were
found TAI cows of which 623 were giving
milk. 1t was found that SO cows had &C
cess to the Bilbo canal and that 527 drank
surface water. An important item to
be considered Is the amount of filth
caused by these cows. In many in
instances COW stables were found abutt-
ing upon adjoining dwellings and in the
majority of instances the stalls were on
ly removed a few feet from dwellings.
In many instances the stalls were in the
immediate neighborhood of vaults. In
only one instance was dairy found with
in the city limits which could be pro-
nounced absolutely clean and sanitary in
all its details. Outside of the city six out
of fourteen diaries were found to be con-
Quoted without regard to sanitary regula-
TONS"
What per cent of the cattle kept in and
around the city are blooded stock?" DR..
Drummer was asked.
Not more than Is per cent" he replied.
'"rhe remainder are common or scrub cat
tie and the yield of milk is very small.
The total number of cows supplying milk
to the city last spring was 800, the daily
product being 3,SS2 quarts This does
not include what was supplied from across
the river and from adjoining counties.
the amount of which was very small"
DR.. Drummer desires in addition to having
the cows excluded from the city to secure
the enactment of ordinances for the in
spection of milk. Atlanta is the only
neighboring city which has a milk in
spection.
That scrofulous faint which has been in
your blood for years, will be expelled by