Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-14
Reform In the MIX Business.
(CharIeston News and Conrlerl

Charleston News and Courler)
There is no article Of diet upon which
! children and invalids are so largely de-
I pendent as they are upon milk. either in
l Its natural state or az composing a part
/ or the other nOurishment they take, and
! these two classes. on account Of their
} comparatively weak constitutions. are
those who are most easily and seriously
affected by any impure or unhealthy con-
dltiOns of the milk In recognition Of this
special commissioner working under the
Board of Health. for the purpose of ex-
aiming the milk furnished by diaries to
its citizens, and subjecting II TO close
analysis for the purpose of discovering
whether the animals from which the sup
ply comes are i'm healthy condition and
properly fed, and also whether the milk
has been adulterated by the dealers MIX
Is composed OF water, butter, sugar ca
seine, and salts in various proportions,
and it is, therefore. no very difficult mat
ter TO discover that 1t has been adulter-
rated when other ingredients are found In
il; but although analysis may show the
aiulterate character OF the milk. II can
not indicate those poisonous qualities 4
sometimes mas nor the evil effecig that
follow its use. Only the most delicate
chemical tests are able to detect the
;erms of disease lurking in IT, ready to
'eyelOp with the greatest rapidity when
YER conditions are favorable
OF course, one of the most essential
HllES III DIutI 10 nave pure. hODl Ulllk 10
lhat the COWS should have a plentiful sup
ply Of fresh grass, clover or hay and pure
water to drink, and that they should, II
possible, be allowed TO Craze in the helds,
instead of being confined In dark, close
stables, or within the narrow limits of a
city yard. Anything deleterious in the AMI
mails food often shows itself in the taste
and smell of the milk, and IL not In these
ways, then In the diseases 10 IS almost
certain TO produce In children fed upon
T. he. fFCFr or -
physicians in great towns tracing a large
percentage Of deaths among young chill
dren in particular districts TO the milk
from daires where the cows are fed on
swil from a distillery. Charleston IL par
ticularly favorably situated In this re-
spect since there is plenty Of pasturage
for cattle within easy reach of the city,
and the milk supplied 10 .her citizens
should, therefore, be OF the best quality.
Then too. the dairy business being al
most entirely in the hands OF respectable
people We have little to fear from I'M
cleanliness IN the handling OF the milk or
from adulteration.
But, while we recognize all this, we
cannot help seeing that the diaries or
Charleston are far behind those or even
small towns I'm more progressive parts OF
the country, with regard - the manner
OF serving milk to their customers. IL
Is an admitted fact that milk rapidly de-
teriorates after milking and that IL Is
particularly liable to do so In hot sum-
mer weather, and also that Il is easily
affected by the vessels In which II is
kept Notwithstanding these facts, we
still have the city's supply OF milk, large
ly brought into town from the surround
ing farms put into tin vessels that are
carried around to the various houses I'M
der the rays Of blazing sun. and from
these ii is served by dipperfus into cans
or pitchers In the open street. where II
is liable TO nave a considerable quantity
of dust and other floating particles added
TO the extraneous matter II already con-
tains No doubt some will argue that the
present mode OF distributing milk has
prevailed here from time immemorial,
and that since 1t was good enough for
our forefathers IL ought TO suffice for us
a form OF argument often heard In
duce any modern Improvement. But We
have learned within the last hundred
years few. things that our ancestors
did not know, and one Of these Is that II
IS far easier TO prevent disease than 1t Is
to cure IL.
II is one OF the discoveries OF modern
times that milk may be treated In such
way as 10 make IL possible to keep II for
an indefinite time without its deteriora-
ting. and at che same time 70 destroy the
disease germs and prevent their deyelop-
ing The process Is very simple, and the
milk SO treated IL called 'sterilized." and
this kind OF milk has almost superseded
all other in towns all over the country.
milk dealer enterprising enough to pur-
chase the plant necessary for the work
and begin serving II to his customers.
Though we uay be attached to old cus-
toms and unwilling TO change them we
are not slow 20 perceive good thing
when we see 1t. and every housekeeper
would quickly recognise the advantage
OF milk and cream that would not turn
sour before she was ready to use a. And
FAR more than that would be the gain 20
mothers with debate inrant~; II, ll'lle