The Portland daily press., 1895-05-28
PORTLAND'S MILK SUPPLY.
No Cases Of tuberculosis Yet DiscOy-
covered by the Commissioners.


Meeting of the Board of Health Yester
day-What Progress Has Been Made in
Examinations-An the Herds to BE
Tested.
The adjourned meeting of the Board OF
Health to hear the report of the cattle
commissioners in regard to the condition
of certain herds in this vicinity, was
held at the rooms of the Board of Trade
yesterday afternoon.
There were present DR.. Bailey and Mr..
Deering, two of the commissioners, Mr..
Blake, the city milk inspector, DIR. Fl. P.
Merrill, the president, DR.. Geo. H. Cum
min gs, member, Mr.. Dyer, secretary,
and Mr.. Carney, the agent of the health
board, and the reporters of the PRESS
and Argus.
Dr. Merrill called the meeting to order
and at once proceeded to business.
DR. Bailey reported for Mr. Wescott, who
made the examinations in the case of two
city herds, those of Mr. White of Bracket
street, and Mr.. Hansen of Vally street
two herds at Cumberland Centre, those OF
Messrs. Ferris and Lincoln, two at West
Falmouth, one of which, Mr.. Lunt's,
does not furnish the city customers with
milk, but butter; and seven at White
Rock, including those of j. P. Wescott, P.
W. Wescott, G. A Rollins and C.M Murch.
There was not found in any of these
cows any trace of disease. They were
good healthy animals.
DR.. Merrill and Dr. Cummings both
questioned DR. Bailey in regard to the
methods of examination and his views
on the subject.
DR. Bailey said he had not as yet ex-
aminded the Whitney herd of II cows al
West Falmouth, but he would do so il
desired, There had been no complaints
made to him of any cattle in this vicini
ty, or on the routes of milk supply o1
Portland, as being affected with tubercu
losis, or that their owners had suspicion
of any sickness. He said that here, il
this state, when a mans COW was affect
ed with disease the man knew that i
he reported the case to the commission
ers and the animal was killed, he would
be paid for her. Consequently the case.
were reported. He had been compelled
to kill only four animals in the past foul
or five years in this vicinity that were
affected with tuberculosis. He referred
to the Rigby herd and said the commits
sioners were not sure now, that the little
bull was affected with the disease They
should make another examination. The
bull is kept apart from the cows of the
herd. In the examination tuberculir
is used. Sometimes the tuberculin makes
the COWS somewhat nervous for few
days after the test, and they do not give
quite as much milk as usual.
A number of circulars had been sent
out by DR.. Merrill to heard owners that
supply Portland with milk, and these
| circulars with the answers to the ques
| tions contained in them, were placed il
| DR.. Bailey's and Mr.. behring's hands
Among the questions were those as to thu
number of cows kept by the former wht
received the circular, their condition
etc. DR.. Merrill said he wished the com
missioners to examine every herd of ovel
six cows that had part in Portland
milk supply. DR. Bailey said it woult
be impossible bothEas to time andto incul
the necessary expense for such an exami
nation. There were $50 herds that furnisl
that supply. The cost of the tuberculi1
oar IL.
does not contain over teaspoonful
which has to be diluted and then is onl,
sufficient to test seventeen or eightee1
animals. The appropriation from th'
state is not large enough, and it must dt
for the whole state and not for Port
land alone. DR.. Merrill said he though
the money could be obtained and tina
the community should not stand such
| hazard of so terrible a disease whel
it could be avoided He didn't think i
necessary to apply the tuberculin test il
every animal, but only to those abou
which there was the slightest suspicion
in the doctors mind. He was apprehen
siye that we had tuberculosin in our mil
supply and he, wanted it traced to it
source if his. .apprehensions were wei
founded, Dr. Bailey said he was as de
sirous as pr. Merrill to prevent the intro
duction Of the disease; that for IA year
he had fought it off. Dr. Merrill said b
appreciated all that and believed DR.. Bal
| ey was fully in accord with him.
DIR. Bailey called attention to the fac
that it was not impossible that if d
sease germs were in the milk supply
was not impossible that they got ther
| from the acts of dealers in milk VIII
watered their milk with water from well
into which water ran from privies an
stables. He said that he had found th
sanitary conditions of many stables wher
COWS were kept, of the very worst. He ha
one case in mind where the manur
pile on which the cows hind legs stoo
was so high that the animal had a tire
mendous pitch forward, and on askin
the owner why he didn't clean out tina
great pile of manure, the man said be
cause he could milk the COW easier b
| letting it alone