The evening times., 1899-12-13
The GqY'S MILK SUPPLY
A Health Department Report on
Its Quantity and Quality.
The Total Amount Consumed In the
District Every Day Estimated at
Over Twelve Thousand Gallons.
NirHinia Furnishes Most of the
Fiuid-Thc System of Inspection.

A report on the condition of the milk
supply of the District, which has
just been issued by order Of the
Health Officer, shows the quantity
and quality of the lacteal fluid con-
sumed in this city within the past
twelve months. Washington gets most OF
its milk from dairy farms in adjacent coun-
ties in Maryland and Virginia. In some
instances it comes from points fifty miles
from the District line
There are five trains known as milk
trains on the various railroads entering the
city. and these deliver the milk in huge
cans from the various stations along their
! lines. The principal supply comes from
/ Virginia. 4,060 gallons being received by
| train, and 1883 gallons coming in by
wagon, every morning. The total amount
OF milk consumed in the District per day
| is estimated at Il, 26S gallons, these figures
representing the amount supplied from all
sources.
The law regulating the sale of milk in
the District of Columbia has been in oper-
! alton for about FIVE years, this city being
The first one in the country to adopt sucn
! law. Chemist Hird has been placed in
charge of the operation of the pure milk
law, and the figures quoted are taken from
ms report. In addition to giving a table
/ OF the source of supply and the quantity
OF milk consumed, Mr.. Hird states:
The Inspection of dairy farms during
the fiscal year. has been confined 10 the
District of Columbia. and such parts of
Maryland and Virginia as could be
lfdversed with horse and buggy, as no
funas were available to pay the necessary
expenses of the inspection of more dis
tant points. where two-thirds of the milk
are produced AS will be seen from the fig
ures included In this report there are 1876
dairy farms actually producing milk in
the District. showing decrease OF fifty
eight since last year. The public is to
be congratulated on this decrease, as most
OF those disseminating business were far
Iners who kept one or two cows in their
back yards. and were not suited by sur
roundings TO produce good and healthy
milk. Many of these persons have be-
come importers, by moving into Virginia
and Maryland. where they can secure
abundant pasturage and water,
We have been able to give these 13;
farms fairly adequate inspection,
being able TO inspect some of them Cnce
or twice month, and those more distant
not so frequently. owing to the inspections
OF abattoirs and city dairies, and to the
inspection or importers living adjacent TO
the District. The ispection, as far as it
has been carried. has been regular and
systematic. as books have been prepared
giving the names of all dairy farmers in
each locality. with maps showing the To-
cation Of each farm. Each section is vis-
tied and inspected before taking up an
other. During the year. l46 samples of
mix were collected about the city. and
examined for their acidity. Five OF these
were found TO contain very high per
cent These samples were all what may
be termed sour, although the casein had
not coagulated in any instance. The prob
lem presented is for the sale OF milk with
a minimum amount of acidity without the
use OF preservatives. In my opinion. this
can largely be controlled by regulating
the temperature at which milk shall be
maintained and at which it may be al
lowed to be sold.
Fifty samples of cream were COL
lected about the city and were also ex
amined during the year. As a result of the |
examinations prosecutions were instituted |
in eighteen cases. eleven OF which were for |
the sale of cream co!ored. with annotto and |
seven for the sale of cream below the legal |
requirements for butter fat. For the sale |
of the colored cream fines were imposed in
seven instances and one allowed to forfeit |
collateral, while for cream below the |
standard six were fined and one forfeited !
collateral. The remaining cases were not |
brought to trial, owing to the fact that the |
inspector who collected the samples was |
requested not to appear in court, owing to |
his connection with the smallpox service. |
He did not enter this line of work. how. |
ever, until after he had collected all the |
samples FOR the examinations. There were |
several instances where prosecutions were
omitted on this account"
Prof. Hird has large laboratory in the /
District Building where he is prepared to |
examine chemically all the samples that
are brought to him. During the year the
ofiice was called upon TO analyze hundreds
OF drugs foods, waters, and other prepara-
tions and the analyses were made the sub
1ect Tor numerous reports and statistical |
works.