The evening times., 1900-03-15
Tainted Milk

The people OF New Orleans are becoming
convin sed that the dairies which supply
that city with milk are a source Of dis
ease. especially of tuberculosis; and as the
conditions existing there are probably no
worse than in many other cities. the sub
ject should be one Of general interest
Il ls~Qharged b. those who have investi-
gated the matter that nearly ninety per
cent Of the mich cows Of New Orleans
arc suffering more or less from tuberculo-
sis. and milk thus infected is likely to
cause the disease ia those who drink IT,,
especially If they chance 20 be children
or inycIids. Il is also stated that many
Of the dLirymen are not careful about the
water which they give their COWS. nor arc
they oyer-scrupulous in the matter Of
cleansing milk cans and other utensils.
Those interested i'm the agitation urge
that radical measures be taken, I'D they
suggest that the whole dairy business Of
the city should be bought and a term os-
tablished in a healthfUl rural nrghbor-
hood al a considerable distance from any
town. where the cows can have T!snty OF
good pasturage. and the methods Of the
dairymen be supervised by competent per
sons. This plan sounds rather chimerical.
but if il could be carried out. the health
Of New Orleans would probably be much
improved.
/ This matter OF the milk supply for a
/ large city is. at present. exceedingly diff
( cult to deal with Official interference
with the dealers savors Of paternalism;
/ il is impossible for the consumer to know
| the source from which the milk comes.
/ and he has only his own individual judg-
/ ment to aid him in determining whether
! or not the fluid is III to use. Il is COM
| paratively easy to detect watered milk. but
! this adulteration is harmless so far as the
/ health OF the customer is concerned. though
! injurious to his pocketbock. The most
/ noxious properties Of impure milk cannot
1 be detected. as a rule, without the aid OF
/ a chemist.
/ II Is -eiesr that the only way to secure
absolutely pure milk would be to exercise
| a careful supervision over the dairy farms
| and ali The employees. and establish some
/ sort OF iIrSBsction. so that it would be i'm
| rossiBle fo1. anyone to sell milk the quality
/ OF which is not vouched for by responsible
! persons. II some firm with large
I capital and progressive ideas were tC
! carry on the dairy business in such a way
as TO prove absolutely that the milk fur
nished by it was pure and healthful. and II
the public could then be aroused to the i'm
| portance Of securing the pure and untaint-
| ed article. this firm would probably hay,
a monopoly after a time, and nobody would
/ buy milk rot known to come from its dai-
ries. This occasionally happens in the cas-,
! Of other articles OF food; some firm es
! tablishes a reputation for fair dealing
! good measure. and pure quality, and intel
! hgent people refuse TO take other and infe-
rior articles when it is possible to get theil
/ pet brand Of -four. or coffee or crackers. o.
timed goods. That is one Of the best re-
suits Of free competition.
Whatever the solution OF the milk prob
lem may be, it is certainly one Of the mos
important which we have to encounter
Not only does the purity Of this article al
feet the health of every -~~son who drink
it, but it is rsed in the manufacture Of in
Vulnerable articles OF food. and il tainted
poisons TO some extent nearly everything
that we eat. In the city of the future som
way will have been devised to do ava,
with the possibility OF milk infected wit
the germs of consumption and other dis
eases.