Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-08
ITS SECOND SESSION
American Social Science Association
Meets Today.
The TOPICS UNDER DISCUSSION
Mr.. R. A. Pearson's Plan for
Better Milk Supply.
PROCEEDINGS LAST EVENING

The second session of the American Social
Science Association and the first of the day
meetings was held this morning in the
assembly hall of the Columbian University.
According to the program which was car
ried out the session was given up to sub
jects coming under the department of
health, and this evening the same general
subject will engage the attention of the
association.
DIR. VIM. H. Dale of Pittsburg presided at
the session this morning and papers were
read follows: Alternate ventilation ap-
plicable to Russian flaps and New York
! tenements. f. T. Potter, Newport, r. l.: A
proposed pan for a better milk supply for
cities. Raymond A. Pearson, Washington.
d. c.; Difficulties and DEFICIENCIES of existing
medical systems. Thomas Powell, MD, Los
Angeles, Cal; Therapeutic methods based
on physical gesture. Adele Maria Hickey,
New York: Are bacilli the cause of disease
or natural aid to its cure2 Charles h.
Page. Md, Boston, Mass; Medical re-
search at the Elmer Gates laboratory,
Elmer Gates, Chevy Chase, Nd. &.
Considerable discussion follcwed the paper
in regard TO medical systems. which. in the
absence of the author. was read by the sec
rotary, DR.. Elmer Lee of New York. The
author attributed the defects in medical
practice to the failure to determine the
factor to which disease is due, which, in
his opinion, was sedimentary deposit,
clogging up the blood vessels.
Proper Preparation OF Food.
Emphasis was laid by DIR. Lee in some
remarks upon the paper on the Importance
of properly preparing the food in the
| mouth that it passes into the stomach
| where the processes of assimilation can be
carried on. The gospel of chewing. as it
might be termed. was set forth with a
1n1 of .l7s1ci .1rnh ct, in
the nourshment of the body was even
placed higher in Importance than either
the kind of food or its method of prepara
ton.
Mr.. Raymond A. Pearson. representing
the dairy division of the Agricultural De-
partmeut, read an interesting paper, which
detailed what should be done to bring
about improved conditions in the produc-
ton and handling of milk used in cities.
Improvement in MIX Supply.
Milk" said Mr.. Pearson, differs from
other foods In some important respects.
Its purity cannot be judged by its appear
ance. 1t is almost invariably used raw,
thus making 1t easy 10 convey disease If 1t
happens TO. have been infected. 1t is large
ly used by and is often the chief depend
ence of those who are in greatest need of
pure food 1t is an exceptionally nutritious
and economical food, and 1t is easily adul-
terated and contaminated. These are some
of the reasons which have led TO the en-
actment of special laws or regulations re-
lating to the production and sale of milk.
1T Is usual to prescribe that all milk Of
fered for sale shall contain specified per-
centages of total solids and fats, and the
amounts NEST often named 10 and =.
respectively. The sale of skim milk may
be prohibited. but ii IS customary to allow
it under one condition-that the cans IN
which 1t is carried shall be plainly marked
with large letters Skinned milk The
sale Of unwholesome or diseased milk IS
sometimes prohibited in general terms. Oc-
casionally we find ordinances referring to
the production and care of milk and stat
ing in some detail the conditions which
should be found on dairy farms. They
forbid the use Of certain feeds for mich
cows and require the buildings to be cared
for and the milk to be handled in a care
full manner Provisions for the enforcement
of the law are almost always included
though this important feature is sometimes
omitted.
LAS the primary purpose of milk laws is
the protection of the public health, their
execution is usually assigned to the city
board of health: In some cases special
officer known as the milk inspector is
placed in charge. Thus milk users are quite
well protected against fraud so far as the
composition OF milk is concerned.
Sanitary Conditions.
THE sanitary condition under which milk
is produced and handled, on the other
hand, receives comparatively little atten-
ton. This is more important than the
chemical composition, but 1t is neglected
for several reasons. first, as already sug-
gested, the laws or ordinances may not
cover this ground. Second, experience
shows that 1t is much more difficult to
enforce laws relating to the management
of the herd and care of the milk than
law requiring a definite amount of fat
total solids in milk Third. the inspection
of dairy farms requires considerable time
and expense. which are important consider
ations when the appropriation is very linn
tied, as is usually the case"
In reference to the Improvement of this
milk supply Mr.. Pearson said:
THE sterilization, pasteuriZation, Ultra
ton and other methods Of purifying milk
have often been suggested and tried, but
without entire success. The rational
method is to adopt some plan that will
cause the delivery in cities of pure natural
milk which does not need to be subjected
to special treatment to overcome the re-
suit of unnecessary contamination neg
lect In It's production care. The scheme
would necessarily include the observance
of all the conditions and methods Of hand
ling milk which modern science and prac-
tice have shown to be both necessary and
practicable.
Would he Adopted by Many.
TT would be next to. If not quite. impos-
sible to enforce the universal adoption of
| such scheme. but f :: were made s;Ilsi .
GENTLY attractive, some conscientious dairy
man and dealers land there are many OF
tNeHl) COulu De iHuuCeu 10 duOpt II lOF-
mally, as they have already done prac-
tically, receiving as a reward an official
certificate stating that the management of
their diaries is approved and their milk is
| handled in the proper manner. The certiti-
cate would be a valuable help in securing
new trade. In addition to this the names
| Of approved dairies' might be occasionally
published
| The plan might be practically worked
| out follows: Let a responsible body of
| citizens who are interested in an improved
| milk supply and have the confidence of
| the community organize a milk commits
| sion. They should select and arrange to
| secure the services of, when needed four
| experts, a veterinarian, a physician, a bac-
| teriologist and a chemist, all more or less
| familiar with the conditions and possibili-
| ties dairy farms A circular should be
/ sent to each dairyman supplying milk to
| the city, plainly stating the conditions that
| should be found on every dairy farm, and
1 announcing that any dairyman who will
| conform TO all the conditions named to the
| satisfaction of the commission (who will
| be guided by the experts) will receive an
Il endorsement pNh a ~ in