Arizona republican., 1899-12-14
4 MATTER OF MILK
a Startling Disclosure Regarding
LEGAL Dairies.

Readers of humorous literature of a
generation ago remember Josh Billings
lecture on Milk" which he opened
with the statement that he had read
many good things on the subject but
the best thing he had ever seen on milk
was cream.
What follows is not one of the pleas
ATTEST things ever written on the sub
ject. There have been startling dis
closures lately concerning the manner
in which the dairy business is con-
Quoted by some of the proprietors in
this community. a few days ago q
little girl died of typhoid fever. There
IS another case OF fever in the same
family and four others which develop
ed later in the same neighbornood.
Physicians were puzzled concerning the
origin of the first two cases. The san
itary conditions about the house were
apparently excellent. The family used
city water and there We're no defective
drains in which the typhoid germ is
supposed to Turk.
The little girl had been away on a
camping trip, but as she had returned
at least two months before the disease
developed it was clear that it had been
contracted at home. As milk is Il
fruitful source of many germ diseases
the investigation was carried in the
direction Of the dairy from which the
family was supplied, and the startling
discovery was made that the four other
cases in the neighbOrhood We're in fam
lilies which received milk from the
same dairy.
The case was reported to the city
health officer, DR.. Hughes, last Tues
DAY. and he continued the investiga-
ton. He ascertained that there were
fourteen cases of typhoid fever in town.
There were no indications of an cpl
demic, and the disease could not pos
sibly have been communicated from
one family to another. He also learned
that thirteen Of these cases were in
families supplied with milk from the
above mentioned dairy.
Accompanied by DR.. J. c. Norton, the
territorial veterinarian, the health
officer visited the dairy. The cows
seemed healthy and things were not
badly kept, but the pool from which the
COWS were compelled TO drink water
was suggestive of typhoid fever or any
other deadly disease. The water was
not more than six inches deep. It
could hardly be called water. but was
a thickened mixture of filth. No analy-
sis of the milk was made but the pool
and the circumstance that thirteen OF
the fourteen typhoid fever subjects had
been drinking milk from the dairy We're
as conclusive as any analysis could
have been. The proprietors promised
the health officer to provide another
drinking place for the cows and not to
deliver any more milk in the city in
the meantime.
It is probable that at the next meet
ing of the council an ordinance will be
presented regulating the sale of milk
in town and creating the office of milk
inspector. At present there is no reg
ulation territorial or municipal pro-
tecting residents against the diaries. 4
dairyman could not be prevented from
Offering diseased milk, or even chalk
water. for sale within the city limits
The subject OF milk inspection was
aSitated by DR.. -. NJ. Purman more
than a year ago. He said re regarded
the matter as. important from sani-
tary point Of view as either public
water works or sewer, and he was
among the strongest advocates of both.
He had examined the conditions of
many diaries and had found them
frightful. In most of them the COWS
We're compelled to slake their thirst
from ponds to whose filth they them
selves contributed In very few
cases the owners changed the
water, but allowed it to remain
until it was drunk up or got too thick
with mud and filth to drink, when an
other supply was turned in from the
nearest ditch.
This water condition alone is suffi-
GENTLY alarming. but there are others
to which attention is called. 1t has
been observed that at some of the
diaries the employees are unhealthy per
sons, usually needy cOnsUmptiVes
whose services are commended only by
their cheapness. These men handle the
milk from the COW to the cOnsum- r and
it is believed. though it cannot. Of
course. be demonstrated, that they
have sometimes delivered tuberculosis
with the milk.
Then. too much Of the milk sold in
Phoenix is only part milk, as every
housewife has been given cause 10
suspect. Whatever cream gathers on
it slides of. leaving a beautiful blue
fluid That cerulsan tint has been
given it by an admiXture Of
water, perhaps from the same
ponds from which the COWS drink
Thus germs are conveyed direct
and are not subjected to the cir
cuitous route of the Iacteal glands.
There is no present authority for an
investigation of the diaries, and an
anlysis of milk, whatever it would dis