Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-28
DEATH LURGS IN THE MILK
City Physician spalding Makes an Important
and Striking Discovery.
PR:SEavATNE BLING USED BY DEALERS
Health Department Preparing TO Issue
n Card of Warming by which
the AduIterntcd Fluid
May he Tested.

Adulterated milk which carries germs Of
disease and death. for babies especially, Is
being doled out in considerable quantities
by some Of the local mikmen. THIS has
been discovered and absolutely proven by
City Physician Spalding, who is preparing
to Issue card of warning to the general
public on the matter.
The injurious element in the milk is a
preservative Just what 1t is the physician
has not yet discovered but it is s1me sub
stance that is indgestible. 1t is used to pre-
vent the curdling and souring OF milk in
warm weather. The presence OF such sub
stance in child's stomach is sure to result
in Indigestion, which will mean sickness and
in many cases death, he says.
City Physician Spalding has heard for
some time that such preearvatve has been
used. 1t has not been needed in any guam
titles in cold weather. however, as milk will
not sour readily in cool atmosphere. With
the approach of warm weather, however
the preservative is being used Several sam
pies Of milk that have been brought to the
Office of the health department have dis
closed the presence of the deleterious sub
stance.
City Diaries All Right.
"The use of this preservative has been
presented solution for the difficult
pioblSlh vi Transporting Llllh SdyS lhS
city physician. THAT is the great problem
that confronts the dairymen who supply a
large city with milk. l have recently Wis
tied all the dairies about the city and they
are uniformly in good condition. The cows
are we'll kept and the stables are clean.
Upon these points l think the health de-
partment of this city has done all that can
be done. In only one point are we lacking;
we have no facilities for examining cows to
discover whether they are afflicted with
tuberculosis or not, With this one excep-
tion | believe that can safely say that the
health department is insisting that pure
milk shall be sold to Omaha people. This
deeterious substance that is being put in
milk is not intended to purify it.
''As l have said the problem in the dairy
business is transportation of milk. If milk
is agitated any length of time it curldes
and sours. If it is carried in
cans not completely filled it be-
comes sour. The preservative that is be-
ing put in the milk is placed there to pre-
vent this curdling, and 1t succeeds. AS an
example. l will cite the experience of one
man, who reported It to me. He suspected
some rich cream and allowed 1t to stand
for two days in a warm place. At the end
Of that time 1t as sweet as when he
got it. If there had been no preservative
in it the cream would have been sour
This suggests the method by which the
housewife can test the milk she receives.
She should allow some of it to stand in a
warm place. If 1t sours within reason
able time the milk is all right; If It does
not sour she may be sure that there is some
preservative in it. In the latter case she
should get another milkman. This is an
infallible test and one that can be made by
all.
How to Remedy the Evil.
"In the second place, all housewives should
insist that milk be delivered in full cans or
bottles. 1t does not need to be chemically
preserved. OF course, 1t is possible for the
milkman to put the preservative in milk
when he delivers it In cans or bottles of this
character, but he gains nothing by it. 1t is
cheaper and more convenient to put the milk
into such receptacles at once than to put
the preservative in it, transport it in big
cans and later pour it into bottles. Any
way, If Omaha's citizens insist on getting
their milk in quart bottles, step will be
taken In the direction Of doing away with
the preservative.
I'm addition to this l would like every citi-
zen Of Omaha who discovers that preserved
milk is being delivered to him or her to re-
port the same to the health department We
will make a test of the milk and will then
prosecute the milkman. OF course the health
department proposes to take steps against
the use Of the preservative at once, but 1t
can be materially assisted by citizens If they
take the trouble to do what have suggested
Most people will appreciate the danger
in this preserved milk when l say that the
preservative Is indigestible. Indigestion is
very disagreeable and even dangerous com
plant for adults. 1t is many times more so
for the babies. If young children are per-
mitted to feed on this milk they are sure
to be sick and the mortality among them will
be great"