The times., 1899-09-03
DANGER In impure milk
District Dairy Inspection Said 10
Be Imperfect.
Grocery stores, Lunchrooms, and
other fiaces Where the White
Fluid Is Dispensed Are Not Under
the Surveillance of the Agents of
the Health ofIice-A Defective Law.

the Health Oaice-A Defective Law.
The consumption of milk in the District
has increased 80 per cent since 1SS9-ten
years ago. The word of District Chemist
Hird and Health Officer Woodward is given
for 1t that no article of food is responsible
for more sickness and death. than impure
milk, and yet its treatment and protection
is little understood by the average pro-
ducer, dealer, and consumer. To the lacteal
fluid is attributed also the primary cause of
the larger portion of the febrile ailments
which have existed in the District for many
years The great use Of milk and the in
crease in the death rate hx fever have
prompted the Commissiopers5p call for i'm
proved laws to regulate its sale within the
District. The most imporfaht legislation
desired are laws TO CONTROL the temperature
of the milk that is kept And offered for sale
and to regulate more effsctuafly the dairies
handling it in small quantities.
The Law Regulating Dairies.
In 1895 a law was passed to regulate the
sale of milk in the District of Columbia
Under this law permits were authorized to
be issued for the maintenance of dairies
and dairy farms and to bring milk into the
District from neighboring States Since the
enactment of this law the inspection of
dairies and dairy farms has never been
thoroughly satisfactory, although the Dis
trict Chemist and Health Officer have re-
ported that the quality of the milk has i'm
proved during each year-not only in regard
TO its quality, but also in the methods of
handling and maintaining ii in more
cleaniy and sanitary condition. Inspection
Of dairies in compliance with the law has
resulted in a marked Improvement over
former conditions. AS one result of this
law there has been less complaint of the
milk having bitter taste or a disagree
able odor.
The District Chemist has said that it is
generally acknowledged that there is but
one practical method for the handling of
milk. First. cleanliness must be main
tanned in every particular, and secondly,
the milk must be cooled Immediately after
milking to a low temperature and kept
there until ready for consumption. The
law should be amended so as to allow of
the enforcement of regulations governing
milk sold in grocery stores and lunch
court, no permit for the sale of milk is
necessary in such places This is entirely
wrong, for If there is any place where the
Health Once should have jurisdiction it is
In the grocery and the lunch room. This
decision practically allows an individual to
maintain a dairy and at the same time
avoid the necessity of taking out permit
and conforming to the dairy regulations,
simply by adding to the stock of trade
few loaves of bread, some crackers, and
little pastry All persons who sell milk
should be governed by strict regulations.
Otherwise the public will suffer.
Inspection Not Satisfactory.
The inspection of the various dairies
and dairy farms within the District, it is
said. has not been satisfactory. The work
is done by the inspectors of the Health De-
partment, who have been assisted by the
veterinary surgeon of the Fire Department.
These inspections have revealed. however,
many cases of ignorance of rudimentary
sanitary principles connected with the pro-
1uction and marketing of milk, A report 1
to the Health Officer says:
The stables were small, poorly lighted
and poorly drained. Cows In many in
stances were found filthy and diseased.
0ne inspection revealed the owner of a
1airy feeding her COW on garbage, Many
IF the producers of milk have no idea of
he Importance of cooling it Immediately
after milking and some have been found
who have not hesitated 10 store it in liy-
ng rooms and kitchens. These conditions
nave been remedied as far as possible. 1t
s impossible, however, to make the nee I
.ssary inspections, and, the inspection
'orce should thereforel be- increased by
Congress" g
Milk is brought in from the adjoining
States by permits based principally upon
from the owners of farms
where the milk is produced. Local in
;pectors sometimes go TO the farms, but
he inspections are not as frequent as
hey should be, owing to the lack of pro- |
yision by law. The Health officer has rec
,mmended that provision should be made |
10 that all cows from which, milk is to be |
aiken for sale in the District may be reg
stered The last report of the District |
Chemist, who had analyZed nearly 700 |
samples of milk collected from all the |
abroad stations and wharves of the city, !
showed an average of 4.23 per cent of fat |
component OF the milk supplied to the |
'etall dealer. This clearly proves, it is
aid, that the public does not receive pure
milk.
Assuming" says the District Chemist, |
that all breeds or cows may be safely |
rusted TO perform their part well in the |
production of wholesome milk we must |
ook for its unwholesome and pernicious /
,roperties in the methods employed in !
,andling It, Among the conditions under |
which milk is handled in the District, we |
ind dairies. grocery stores, dairy lunch |
ooms. lunch rooms and eating houses deal !
ng generally in this commodity. Diaries |
,nly are required to be governed by sani- |
ary regulations for the protection of our /
milk supply. These dairymen are those |
Iealers who give up their entire time to the |
handling of milk, and who thus, as rule, |
ire most interested in having their milk |
reserved in a eleanly and sanitary manner. |
they are required to conform to the regu /
ations, while grocery stores, iunehrooms, /
nd eating houses are allowed to do as they /
ike in the matter More disease is con-
racted from milk kept in unsanitary con-
itions in grocery stores than from all the |
airies in the District combined. There |
hould be no distinction in the rules and |
equations governing the sale of milk, nor |
hould any person in the District be allow
d to serve unwholesome milk and escape |
he penalty OF the law.
Preservatives In Milk.
In Paris recently three samples of yell |
ow powder, used by certain milkmen at
bordeaux to preserve their milk, were OBJ
aimed and an analysis made of them. The /
nalysis showed that two of them were
hromate of potash and that the third was
mixture OF one part of the bichromate and
wo parts chromate of potash and that the