New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-30

ough Of Ftnsbury- illustrated SNo' PIP WV
II p DUtton g. Co.
There IS little danger OF overestinating the
,,nnortance Of & research like that Of which the
results are here embodied MIX butter and
cheese occupy a unique position in the diet OF
people OF all ages and classes OF society. More
over they are susceptible, TO exceptional de-
gree 10 concentrations which are Injurious TO
human health. It is particularly gratifying
therefore 10 note how admirably MI. Swithin-
hank and DR.. Newman have done their work
Single phases OF the subject. Of an Industrial
nature may have been discussed before with
eo.al or greater fulness. but never until now
has the matter been treated so comprehensively
Health boards, practical psychologists. dairy
farmers and dealers In milk in cities will all find
helpful guidance IN these pages. Great pains
have been taken IN the collection OF facts. the
material has been well digested. and judicial
spirit is manifest in the conclusions. Americans
TOO. viii observe with pleasure the recognition
given 10 scientific inquiry and intelligent legis-
lation on this side OF the Atlantic.
MIX is not merely a convenient vehicle for
bacteria It is a soil which is peculiarly favor
able 10 their growth. It abounds with the nee
essary elements for their nurture. Hence the
organisms almost invariably found soon after
81 IS drawn from the COWS multiply with amaz-
ing rapidity. especially IL the temperature OF the
fluid IS not promptly reduced. DR.. William II.
Park Of the New-York Board OF Health, de-
scribes several sets Of tests made by him. In
one al the precautions Of the most advanced
dairy practice were observed. Five hours after
milking the average number OF bacteria found
IN g cubic centimetre of the milk OF six cows
was six thousand. and at the end of forty-eisht
hours there were 17,S16. This number may
seem large for a mere thiInbleful. but It is ex-
traordinarily low compared with that found in
most OF the milk Of commerce. In another or
Dr. Parks experiments less elaborate cleansing
methods were adopted, but the milk was coolea
10 IS degrees Fahrenheit within two hours Al
INNS. at the outset there were 1886 bacteria
10 the cubic centimetre; after twenty-four hours
there were As 600. and at the end OF forty-eight
hours 6SOOO0, In ten samples of milk brought
in by one great railroad to New-York City and
examined Immediately on arrival the count
ranged from 100000 10 35,2o0Q00, or an average
Of a little less than 6.000,000. In ten samples
which came by another railroad the range was
from 5000 to 100000. and the average 5.4O6,-
200. AL Of this milk came here IN March, when
the outside temperature was % degrees That
OF the cans, when opened, 40. The milk
had travelled about 200 miles Another set OF
tests was made with milk obtained at places
where Il was retailed. The average for ten
shops IN well 10 do districts 327. 800, and for
thirteen shops IN districts where the poorer
though. represent midwinter conditions. Here
are some for September: Wen TO do districts
l061, 400 and the poorer districts. 10 163 600
A Observations IN England and on the Continent
" Of Europe give slightly different results. but
they all reinforce the same truths which are here
illustrated.
-Four general classes OF bacteria found IN
milk The functions Of one group have not yet
been discovered a second induces various fer
mentations, a third imparts characteristic
navors TO cheese, and a fourth embraces dis
ease germs. Only the last OF these endangers
health. and they occur IA relatively small num-
bers when they are observed at all. The star
ting statistics just given, therefore, do not az
ford an accurate measure Of the peril TO which
the public IS subjected, but they emphasize the
awful facility with which multiplication is liable
TO follow when only a few are present.
The microbes which are held responsible for
tuberculosis are apparently the most abundant
OF the pathogenic bacteria which find their way
into milk. Examinations IN London, continued
through the seven years ending with 1902
showed that % samples among 1,119 from city
COWS were thus infected. and 81 out of ,12i
from country cows. The percentage for the
former group , and for the latter IA A
similar difference was noted Ia Liverpool during
the same period. There We're times when the
city cows showed as low a percentage as GA,
and great one as S.3 In the milk from
country COWS sold in that city the infection
ranged from lie to 17.9 per cent. In Manches-
ter, IN 1901. inspector examined 80 cans,
representing 272 farmers in Cheshire or Derby
SHIRE and detected the germs Of tuberculosis in
1o49 per cent of the samples from the one
source, and 9.23 from the other. Elsewhere in
England stin more unfavorable conditions have
been observed No doubt the same general sit
uation exists the Continent also Exami-
nations Of butter by various experts often fail
10 show any germs Of tuberculosis at all. but
percentages ranging from s to so have been re-
corded. Petri. a bacterologist Of high rank,
discovered them in 80 out of lO2 samples from
Berlin and Munich.
Because OF the small number present in a
given specimen. their lack of virulence. or
For some other reason. these organisms are not
uniformly dangerous; but tests have been made
which are painfully suggestive Klein. for in
stance. with milk from one hundred different
shops in London. inoculated as many guinea
pigs. In per cent Of these cases true tuber-
culOsis developed. IN S per cent pseudo-tuber-
culosis followed, and IN ] per cent there was
oiphtheria, TO say nothing OF blood poisoning
Like results were obtained, but in a larger de-
gree. when market butter was thus tried. Kochs
reasons FOR thinking that consumption cannot
be transmitted from man TO beast, nor IN the
opposite direction. are presented, but Mr. Swith-
fnbank and Dr. Newman are unable 10 agree
with him. They say: we hold that while
tu9erculosis IS not chiefly spread by means of
milk, there IS unmistakaEIe evidence that it
rzn. and Goes. set I'D some form Of that disease
~ the bodies OF and other animals con-
Stunning the milk" The experiments of no less
than eight reputable experts are cited In sup
port OF this view In the majority Of cases the