The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-08

1884 ........ 1900 10000 466 703
1894 ........ $4,000 $4,000 ALB 766
In 1894 there were nineteen deaths
from typhoid fever. Dr. Drummer
made strong appeal to Council to
examine milk and dairies, and during
the two years milk was under the SUI
pervision of the health oftice-in 1878
there were no typhoid fever among
the deaths. No records of health
were kept in 1899 In 1900 there were
sixteen deaths; in 1901, six and in 1902
nine. 1 have been unable to obtain
information for 1908.
A few years ago, when our milk sup
ply was first subjected to examination,
several of the samples collected by in
spectors from wagons, depotS and dairy
farms, showed it had been manipu-
lated or carelessly handled at the time
of milking or afterwards. Mixing of
SKINNED milk with the new milk, re-
moval of part of the butter, and the
addition of water were resorted to.
What was found most injurious to
young children raised on this food was
the filthy condition of the milk, milk
cans and receptacleS in which it is
kept, and the heated condition in
which it is delivered in the afternoon
in summer. The sediment was found
to contain skin desquamation, focal
matter, hair, fibres and micro-organ-
isms, innumerable!
Be it said to the credit of our dairy
men and milk dealers Except in two
instances) the first word of warning
from the health officer sufficed to stop
| the evil After this not only was the
milk kept very clean. both in transit
| and at the depots, but rarely did any
| samples contain less than IA per cent
of solid milk fats. The fats (butter)
| rarely less than Az per cent, running
| up at time to 10 per cent; solids with
out fats never less than 9 per cent
Verbal instructions sent through d
very efficient and fearless food inspec-
| tor soon brought our dairymen to wash
| and curry milk cows daily, to have a
clean and well-ventilated place for
milking, to get the mixers hands
| scrupulously washed and to carry a
vessel of clear water to dip their hands
in, instead of the milk in the bucket.
Refrigerators and milk boxes were
washed and aired every day. The milk
was now kept apart from meats. vege-
| tables. fruit etc.
The milk from a healthy COW is al
ways pure when it comes from the I'D
der. If by careful handling it is kept
| pure milk forms one of the most i'm
| pOrtant and best article of diet for ba-
| bies and children, for the sick and
| convalescent. 1t forms the basis for
| some of the most delicate dishes, to
| tickle the palate of the gourmet. 1t
being one of the cheapest and most
easily gotten article of food, it is also
| the poor mans friend.
On the other hand, from careless
| handling, allowing milk cows to drink
water in which sewerage is mixed, such
as the Bilbo canal and the Savannah
river water, above and below the city,
milk may become one of the most dan
| Dot, oil,
! everybody, its effect may be far reach
| ing, as it may contain the germs of
| fatal diseases, such as scarlatina, ty-
| phoid fever, diphtheria, tuberculosis
and even those of Asiatic cholera.
widespread epidemics of these diseases
| have been traced to it's use. Therefore,
| the position taken by the Mayor and
the health officer is untenabie.
A city of the size and commercial
| importance of Savannah cannot afford
to take any risk which might increase
| its mortality and give it a bad reputa-
ton. Why is Chicago's rate of NOR
! tality less than that of other metro
! poles the world over? They have laws
regulating the sale of food and drinks.
and they punish transgressors heavily.
when caught, even for adding water
| to the milk.
Let us now inquire into the causes
which make the ratio of deaths so
| great among negroes in Southern cities.
| AS already shown, the death rate of
| the negro when slaves was less than
| that of the whites. He was then care
| fully fed, clothed and housed by the
owners whose interest it was to keep
! them healthy and strong. Now that
| they are at the mercy of city fathers
| who are not all philanthropists, al
! though perhaps, very fine business
men, the laws preventing the sale of
unwholesome food are pigeonholed, and
! INSCRIPTIONS butchers, grocers and
others taking advantage of the situa-
| ton. keep and sell partly decayed
white bacon and sides. game, beef,
mutton and fish, wilted and fermenting
! Vegetables. and partly rotten fruit,
! which the poorer class of negroes and
whites buy because they can get il
cheap. They also buy sour milk, old
| butter milk for the same reason. Over
| crowding I'm small houses in bad re-
! pairs is allowed. To this and the
drinking of vile liquors, which crazes
them. is due this great increase of
| mortality.
Whenever the negro shall receive
| from the civil authorities the protection
/ to which they are entitled, that is
! when the laws regulating the sale Of
/ unwholesome food and drink shall be
/ rigidly enforced, when overcrowding
! in sleeping rooms prevented, when own
! ers Of houses shall be required to keep
/ them in good repair-with legal air
/ space--thS mortality of that race will
/ diminish and go back to the ante
bellum ratio. J. G. LeHardy.
]