New-York tribune., 1903-01-03
FACTS ABOUT MILK.
Poor Feel Fluctuations m Price
First.

The price os milk paid by the wholesale milk
dealers during December, 1902. reached the high
water mark of the last two decades. Though a 4
cent reduction is ushered in with the new year.
wholesale rates still considerably in advance
OF those quoted for January, 1902 The high price
beef and the shortage in feed the principal
causes of the milk famine Dairymen sold their
stock cut down expenses Though the bulk OF
the retail trade did materially suffer. the slight
uctuation in price is felt in the districts where
milk is sold in pints and half pints from small
groceries.
The large milk farms. several Of which are To-
Gated just out Of New-York, are not members Of
the City Milk Exchange, which meets every first
and last wednesday in the month but their
own prices, usually for several months in advance
Though they own the majority Of the cows from
which their supply is drawn, and which therefore
gives them the right speak of the superior con-
dition in which Our stock" is kept all of them de-
pend TO some extent the small herds OF nelsh-
boring farms. The individual reputation OF these
firms however, prevents the purchase OF any but
good milk from these outside sources, as they as
well as the smallest third rate East Side pedler
are subject TO inspection ........
The frequency Of this inspection depends upon
the degree of suspicion in which dealer is held
A firm whose record is absolutely clean can almost
count on an annual biennial visit, while the
dealer who has once or twice been brought to
Justice" apt TO have his wagons or milk can
in the rear Of his store overhauled at more or
less frequent intervals To the suspected dealer at
least il seems to be a matter OF almost daily an
T,ovauce From the consumers standpoint how
ever. when he recalls that there are between 100
and se10 dairies $50 called in the city. and that
the Board of Health employs only six inspectors,
these visits the character OF those proVerb-
jal affairs Of the angels. few and far between
Especially does this appear TO be. OF necessity the
case when of these half dozen inspectors is de-
tailed for out OF work. to inspect the COWS
on the milk farms from which the citys supply is
obtained. The quality of the milk in this respect
cannot be ascertained by tests Of the article itself
1t may be charged with tuberculosis or typhold
germs or be the product Of "disulllery waste OF
-svvill' and yet no mechanical contrvance at pres
ent in use viii be able 20 detect the fact AS New
York draws its milk supply from territory within
radius something like 400 miles of the CITY, TINS
out of inspection becomes more or less prop
lerna1ical matter when relegated to one man
There are very stringent clearly printed ana
much elaborated restrictions ana regulations re-
garding the production. transpora ton anG sale OF
3srf in convenient pamphlet form. nave been wide
eyerv handler Of the article. But they are never
theless daily dlsregarded, as any one VINO ~ ~wlshes
miles personal inspection. For instance, milk Is
"a ,5eeraes FTsl1TeT heit from the time il is cooled
after leaving the COW Until Il is delivered TO the
consumer But the single milk can in the rear 1 1T
nearly every grocery at any time OF year WIZ VIII
OF from 10 70 Is degrees in excess OF this An IN
spector in discussing the matter SAID:
g conseios @si atf HS sperTison Of New-Yors mix
supply would necessitate a corps OF some h9nared
about well it is any other. As matter
Of fact very authorizations that so horrify
the milk consumer used IN nearly ali canned
goods and nobody SAYS anything"
But" il urged in reply, tft is matter or
statistics that mere than six thousand deaths oc-
cured in 1890 for instance among children under
1,e years OF age from Giarrhoaal causes. and that
old or adulterated milk is the commonest cause or
such diseases
Well was the reply. when you see q mother
give her wear baby scarlet and green gumdrops
bacon rinds off the floor and tea that has been
standing for hours in tin pot all this hue and
cry over the innpurity Of the milk ii gets loses
In the best milk tested Immediately after milk
jrg about three hundred bacteria found in every
6ron Kent al q Temperature Of 30 degrees there
is no increase in these in twenty-four. hours. At
20 degrees milk be kept wholesome almost in
definitely. At IS degrees. however. milk seventy
go hours old contained one hundred and fifty thou
sand bacteria ihe drop, showing that independent
pf ernperatUre age has ucn 70 DO with the health
f,Iness of milk. a single germ in high temperature
feen hours The multiplication Of these germs is
,1z fy15I-jous in consuming the nutritive proper
ties ~ the milk and adding TO IT such really
yeoisonoue The commOnest adulterations used In
milk are for-naIdehyde boraE. boracic acid, ben
zosfe OF soda and sslicyc acid. None OF these are
fer uresert in sufficient quantities 10 be in them
selves harmful as several gallons of the milk thus
treated would have 10 be taken at the time TO pro-
duce such q result. The chief harm In the use OF
these so-caned representatives" is that the milk
Tins treated Will not taste smell putrd when IL
Is really so and is therefore drunk when utterly
for