Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-06
PURITY OF PRODUCTS
Senator Stewards Interest in
Sanitation of Milk.
HABITS OF DAIRYMEN
METHOD OF HANDLING RECEPTA-
Giles CRITICISED.
Proposed Amendment to Law to Rem
edy Alleged Evil-Health
Officers Views.

Senator Stewart is taking deep interest
In questions concerning the sanitation of
milk. He has recently been corresponding
with Health Officer Woodward on the con-
dition of milk bottles that are in daily use
by dairymen in the delivery of milk and
cream throughout the city. Senator Stew
art believes the present practice of ham
ding milk in bottles Is one that is apt to
cause spread of disease, and he has in
dicated his intention to advocate an amend
ment to the milk law at the next ses-
sion of Congress that will effectually REM
edy what he regards as great and danger
Gus evils.
Mr.. Stewart Is member of the Senate
committee on the District of Columbia, and
for many years all bills concerning dairy
products have been referred to him for
recommendations to the full committee.
Writing to Dr. Woodward, Senator Stew
art says: Il desire to call your. attention
to a practice generally in vogue in the milk
business which Is we'll calculated to spread
disease and infict upon the community I'M
wholesome milk. OF course, l refer to the
practice Of many dairymen of filling their
bottles in the distributing wagons. 1t is
true that this method relieves the dealers
who practice it from providing rooms for
filling bottles and steam for washing and
steriliZing the bottles before they are filled
to be delivered to the customers. The con-
version of milk wagons into apartments for
handling milk and filling bottles furnishes
temptation not often resisted of refilling
bottles which have already been used with
out any adequate means of washing or
cleansing the same 1t is generally under
stood that the loss of bottles, which is so
expensive to honest dairymen is occaSiOned
by the drivers who are short of bottles fill
ing them in their wagons being compelled
to gather bottles wherever they can find
them.
Dangers Suggested.
sit is not pleasant reflection to know
that persons using milk from dairies which
fill their bottles in their wagons are liable
to receive bottles which have been used in
uncleanly places where such diseases as
smallpox, typhoid fever and the like exist.
I think it very doubtful If all your efforts
to protect the community, although very
commendable. are of much use so long as
drivers are allowed or compelled to fill their
own bottles in the wagons they drive,
whether they have a sufficient number of
bottles furnished them or not"
Prevents Reuse of Bottles.
Replying to an inquiry whether the Gus
tom of filling and reflling bottles in wag-
ons cannot be stopped, Dr. Woodward
quotes section of the health regulations
in respect to filling bottles, which pre-
vents their use more than once until they
THE obstacle in the way of enforcing
this regulation is the difficulty of proving
that the driver who is discovered filling
bottles en- route does not personally Know
that they have been properly cleaned since
they were last used. In the very limited
investigation which has been made since
the receipt Of your letter drivers Of milk
wagons have been detected in two cases
filling bottles in their wagons. In neither
case. however, was the inspector near
enough to determine whether the bottle
was or was not clean when filed. 1t is
manifest moreover that the presence of
an inspector near enough to the driver to
enable him to determine the condition of
the milk bottle as to cleanliness would eff
fectively deter the driver from filing the
bottle at all. In other words, it may be
said that the present regulation on the
subject Is practically without effect.
Apt to Contain Dregs.
1.-THE fact is manifest that the filing of
milk bottles collected from customers
without washing such bottles is filthy and
dangerous. The bottles used under such
conditions are apt to contain remnants
of sour milk, which will hasten decompo-
sition in the fresh milk put into them.
Bottles Of this kind may, too, be infected
with communicable disease especially
when they have been taken, as is occa-
sionally done, into sick rooms for the
convenience of nurses and patients. L
have been informed, moreover, by an eye
witness of the occurrence that at least
one dairyman has filled a bottle without
washing it which he had collected from
an office room in of the federal de-
partments, act which was particularly
disgusting because of the likelihood of
such bottles having been placed directly
to the lips of the consumer, and If such
an act has been witnessed on a single oc-
casion it has probably been done on nu-
merous occasions without being discovered.
1.-The only really effective method of pre-
to prevent the carrying of milk in bulk
and milk In bottles at the same time in
the same wagon"
DIR. Woodward states that the effort to
carry into effect the method he suggests
was opposed by datrymen, and for that
reason failed q ha made into law