Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-22
Origin of Milk Supply.

ted.
Origin of Milk Supply.
IAN investigation was then made to de-
termine the origin of the milk supplied to
your institution. This investigation dis
closed the fact that while the order issued
by the school called for whole milk and I'M
derstandng had been entered into between
a responsible officer of your institution ana
the dairyman supplying the milk, by when
he was to furnish certain quantity OF
cream, and, instead of sending in Vouch-
er for cream to make good the purchase
price of the cream delivered by substituting
SKINNED milk for whole milk in such pro
portion might be necessary, the SKIM
med milk and the whole milk was, l. am
informed mixed before delivery. The skim
med milk, which said to be used as a
diluent. was admittedly twelve hours older
than the whole milk, and to mix the two
was. therefore. a unique procedure under
any circumstances.
.'On the morning of the 2Sth the health
department collected certain samples OF
milk from your dairyman as he was making
his morning delivery to your institution.
The analysis of these samples showed that
the milk had been diluted, not with SKIM
med milk but with water. Prosecutions
for these offenses have been duly inst1-
tuted' against the responsible parties ana
are now pending. Two samples of milk.
purchased from the contractor furnishing
milk to your institution on September ~
were both found, upon analysis. to be
skinned
Unsatisfactory Storage Facilities.
investigations have disclosed the fact
that the facilities for storing milk in the
Industrial Home School are not satisfac
tory. At the time of my visit found that
1t was necessary to have milk delivered
twice daily because the institution had not
refrigerator space sufficient to keep it even
all day. Your attention duly called
to this fact and the advisa bility of making
arrangements for caring for your milk sug-
gested. An inspection made on September
10 showed, however, that the milk was still
kept in dairy room or Springhouse, said
room or house being in a very insanitary
condition. the water in which the milk cans
stand being foul the trough containing the
spring water running through the dairy
filthy, the drain pipe from the dairy foul
and Shiny and the floor dirty. The place
was. moreover, permeated by a foul odor
This matter was duly called to the atten-
ton of the acting superintendent on duty
at the time.
1T cannot be said that the Investigations
by the health department as indicated have
disclosed with even a reasonable degree of
certainty the cause of the outbreaks of
sickness referred to in this report They
have, however, indicated the absence of a
proper supervision over the milk supply
and the milk supply representing the arti-
Gle of diet which is most prone to decompo-
sition and which is habitually consumed in
its raw state. an Improvement should be
made In this matter if it has not already
been done"
Second Statement by Health Officer.
The communication from DIR. Woodward
to the Commissioners. bearing date Of Oc-
tober 20, reads as follows:
referring to the report of the trustees
of the Industrial Home School relative to
certain outbreaks of sickness among the
inmates of, that institution in August last
l have the honor to submit the following
statement:
1.-The first outbreak of sickness whc h
came to the attention of this department
occurred on the morning of August Is On
that day between 10 o'clock am and
neon, the very time when, by the report Of
the trustees, the outbreak of sickness was
ir progress, Mr.. Skinner left at the health
department a sample of water for analysis
No mention was made of the outbreak then
In progress, probably because the srperin-
tendent was as yet unacquainted with It's
occurrence, although on this point the
health department cannot speak authorita-
lively. On the following day-that is. on
August 10, not on August Is, as might be
inferred from the trustees reporl-M-
Skinner brought to the health department
portion of the vomitus of one of the pa
tients who was Ill on the preceding day.
sample of bread and a sample of milk.
I'm making the report of this department
to Mr.. Skinner, under date of October q,
references to these substances was omitted:
the fact that an analysis of the contents of
the stomach had been made was over
looked, and it was supposed. in the prep
aration of the report, that the bread and
milk were among the samples submitted
by the medical sanitary inspector of this
department
1.-THE bread and the milk were supposed
to represent samples of the general bread
supply of the institution on the 18TH in
slant. If they were samples of the bread
and the milk which were actually on the
breakfast table during the breakfast pre-
ceding the outbreak of sickness 1t was not
hxy e., 1<,x H.
department has, moreover dealt with Mr..
Skinner on that basis and urged the i'm
portance of securing samples from the
food actually on the table during the meg
preceding the outbreak without being in
formed or reminded that the bread and