The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-04-06
NEW YORK'S MILK SUPPLY.
Examination Of FITS Conditions From
q Medical ItandpOtnt.

Examination OF IT'S Conditions From
Medical ItandpOint.
There are in the boroughs Of Man.
haitian, Bronx and Brooklyn over so
wholesale and retail milk dealers
whose capital ratings, according to-
the commercial agencies, range from
$4,000 to $1,0OO,00o, says The Medical
Record. A list of questions was sent
to these dealers, asking, among other
things, whether they sold bottled milk
to families; where the milk is bottled,
in city or country; what percentage OF
butter fat their milk lis guaranteed to
contain; whether the milk runs uni
form in quantity of butter fat; if there
is any variation in quantity Of butter
fat; in what months of the year is
there the least quantity and in what
months the greatest quantity; is the
milk run through a centrifugal ma
shine to remove dirt; how soon after
milking is the milk delivered in the
territory covered; what territory is
covered; is the tuberculin test ever ap-
piled to the COWS?
Nineteen replies were received, all
from large dealers, their combined cap
ital ratings being about two-thirds of
the entire capital invested in the milk
business in these boroughS. These deal
ers all furnish bottled milk, which they
guaranteed to run 4 per cent fat and
over, the least amount of fat being
found in the spring months. Three of
the dealers use separators to cleanse
their milk, the others simply claiming
especial care in the matter of cleanli-
ness. The time of delivery is from II
to SO hours after milking. Nine out Of
the 10 dealers say the tuberculin test
has been applied to their herds, al
though not regularly. Three simply
stated that there was oversight Of the
herd by a veterinarian. A few of these
dealers owned the COWS producing the
milk, but the great quantity Of milk is
collected by companies who have de-
pots in various dairy districts and who
buy from farmers and dairies.
These companies have regular forms
Of contracts, which are generally based
on the Fifty Dairy Rules" Of the
United States department Of agricul-
ture. These contracts may allow the
companies inspectors to examine the
COWS, stables and utensils, regulate the
manner of feeding, handling of milk,
ETC., and sometimes even provide for
notice to the company of any conta-
gious disease in the family or help of
the producer. The milk is brought to
the depot at stated hours, cleaned, If
necessary, and bottled or canned and
shipped either in boxes containing ice
or in refrigerator cars and delivered
within "A to SO hours after milking.
About IS per cent of the milk now re-
ceived in New York comes from these
ally called, creameries.
In spite Of the vigilance of the health
inspectors, there is a large sale of vari-
GUS preservative solutions that are pre-
sumably used for the purposes for
which they are sold. Dairy supply
firms openly advertise the sale of these
preparations. Their commonest active
ingredients are boric acid and sodium.
salt boraX and formaldehyde. While
small amounts Of these substances may
not always in themselves be directly
injurious, they have a tendency 10
hardeR the clotFof casein" and thus
make the milk less digestible.