The herald., 1895-10-28
Official Analysis Followed Up by
a Herald Reporter
A VISIT TO THE INSTITUTION
DR.. Hagan FIatly Denies That There Is
Any Adulteration
While Some of the Women Patients Insist
That It Is More Than Half Water.
The Lacteai Controversy

A Herald reporter yesterday went out
to the county hospital to see what the
officers in charge of that institution had
to say about the official analysis made by
DR.. j. @. Blacgington showing that the
milk served to inmates had been adulter-
ated to the extent of SO per cent with wa
ter, whereas the milk used by the officials
was fully up to lactometer standard. DR..
]. ]. Barber was not n,sbeing in atteno-
ance of the funeral of Lieutenant-Gover-
nor Millard, but DR.. Ralph Hagan, the
DOCTORS assistant, was in his office. DR..
Hagan was shown the official analysis as
published IN The Herald yesterday morn
ing. and asked wtat explanation he had
to make of 1t. DR.. Hagan read the analy-
sis over carefully and then asked the re-
porter if he wished to test the milk, say
ing that if he had come prepared with
the proper Instruments he would gladly
furnish him with samples and assist him
in his experiments. On being told what
was wanted was statomsnt from him as
to the fact whether the milk served tothe
patients was more than half water, DR..
Hagan replied that as to the samples an
alyzed by DR.. Blackington no could say
nothing, as he did not know where they
were procured, or, in fact. anything
about them. No application had been
made to the hospital authorities for sam
Piles of milk for analysis and therefore, at
best, i'll could only be assumed that the
samples came from the hospital. He
| could, however, say one thing positively
and unequivocally, and that was that any
statement that there was any difference
between the milk used by the officers and
that served to the patients was an I'M
qualified falsehood. The milk that was
served at the officers table and that sent
tacle. and was identically the same.
There are now thirteen cows kepts ut the
hospital and in addition four, five or six
gallons OF milk is purchased daily. OF
course all the patients did not have milk,
only those whose physical condition Is
such that it Is necessary, and they have
Just as good as can be procured.
When asked Tor his theory as to how
the samples OF milk were procured, DR..
Hagan said there was but one, and that
was that some dissatisfied patient had
deliberately watered his or her allowance
who had the analysis made, at the same
time furnishing them with ple of
the milk AS it was served out. This. he
SAID, would account for ii. Besides. said
DR.. Hagan, there are always dissatisfied
patients. who feel that they must COM
this. however. They are feeling badly,
get cross at trifies and are always ready
to register com plants with any one who
will listen to them. OF course. he said,
it was impossible to give the close atten.
ton to detail in public free institution
that was done In private paid hospital,
but the patients were we'll cared for, they
| had good food and gUod attendance, and
SO far as he knew there was no just cause
| for con- plant.
The reporter was then taken down to
the Kitchen and bowl of milk was
| brought in for inspection. So far as taste
and smell went it was a fair sample of
| dairy milk, such as is furnished generally
| in the city. 1t certainly was rot cream,
| but it was milk, and the percentage of
water conld not have been greater than
that in restaurant milk. Preparations
| were making for supper. and 1t was Incl
| dentally noticed that the Kitchen was
clean, the cooking vessels in good order,
and there was no more odor perceptible
than about the averaee restaurant
kitchen.
DR.. Hagan was then asked # there was
any objection to the reporter making
tour of the building and interviewing the
inmates on his own hook. The doctor
replied that there was not, but on the
contrary he would take 1t as a favor If
this was done. and the reporter started
out on his rounds.
pan out well. There were half dozen
or more men summing themselves on the
open piazza, apparently very we'll salts
fed and in answer to the re pOrter's ques-
tons, said ttat they had no com plant to
make. The food was ample in most cases
recent arrival from Orange county,
thought it would be better if there was
little more fnod placed ON the table, as
occasionally when their appetites we've
good the supply ran short. He was. par
ticular, however. to state that his re-
rather than a compliant. All stated that
when they got milk it was fair article.
1t was not SO thick with cream that it
had to be eaten with spoon, but it was
very fair milk.
Probably twenty or thirty men were
interviewed, ali with substantially the
same result, except that some of the con-
sumptiYe patients thought that tho milk
was not rich enough, and that it had been
watered. Some of these stated that the
milk was better on some days than on
others.
A visit was then made to the women's
ward. and here a somewhat difterent line
was struck. There were but four in the
ward, it being stated that the others were
walking about the grounds, and one Of
the four was only admitted Saturday.
The Oldest inmate OF the ward, Mrs.
" brielt was polHteu out 10 me reporter,
ana he applied to her for the information
desired. Mrs. o. Brien was not backward
in expressing her opinion, ana she freely
answered all questions. Mrs. O'Brien
said tnat she had been in the hospital for
year ana a half under DR.. Brainerd's
administration, and this last time she
had been in for two years. AS to the
food, Mrs. OBJ len SAID it was ample in
quantity ana OF good quality. but that it
was frequently spoiled In cooking. The
cook. she said, had been in the institu-
ton SO long that lie was allowed pretty
much his own way, and he mad become
careless. As to the milk, Mrs. O'Brien
said thu II the watering was stopped at
one-half it would be better than it is at
present. In fact, the taste of milk was
barely perceptlble in the fluid which was
served under that name.
The reporter examined tie bottle which
milk, and from the small quantity at the
bottom 1t appeared to be of the same
general quality as that first tested in the
Kitchen. Mrs. O'Brien said that she be-
lieved after the milk was watered it was
but II such was the case the thickening
the slightest trace of sediment or precipi-
| tation at the bottom.
The other patients were then question
3D.. The one just admitted SAID that she
had not been in the hospital long enough
woman, said that she drank milk very
had drank it tasted weak, like 1t had