The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-19

Raleigh, recently wrote d paper for
the Child's study Department Of the
Woman's Club OF "'The Prevention Of
Summer Disease of Infants" 1t is
matter that vitality concerns every
home, and the following extracts viii
be read with interest in Raleigh and
every other city:
Dr. Grallan's PaDer.
Milk is the most suitable culture
medium for the growth of germs
pojsons in the milk both before afra
, aftpr it ia taken into the infants
stomach. This question of impure
milk hes been given o great deal %
deserved attention III this and other
countries. The agency of milk liz thc
spread Of contagious diseases has
only lately been appreciated. Its inn
pcrtancs may be Judged by tho fact
that III I9QQ &oDer collected records
of 800 eDidc,uics which were spread
ny nilk--thcse illustrate very well
how the milk most frequently be-
comes Infected. There were 1875 out
brea ks OF typhoid fever. 90 or scarlet
fever and 50 OF diphtheria. in the
typhoid cp;dclnics the disease pre-
vailed at the dairy in i4S instances;
In " the milk MAS diluted with IN
fected we'll water. III Z the cows pro
badly waded In polluted wafer III ~
cases the employees acted as nurses
and ii, 0 they continued at work. al
though themselves SUFFERING from IA"
disease: IN case T. was found that
the milk cans were washed with
clnthes used about patients, In 2
cases the dairy employees we're con-
nected with the night soil service.
or the 90 epidemica OF scarlet fe-
ver there was disease at tho farm or
dairy in 63. III thN,-other instances
the employees acted as nurses tT
lodged in infected homes. In cpl
denies Infection was brought by cans
OF bottles from the homes of patients.
As q result of investigation, every
large city in this country has
passed rules and regulations for
the control of the milk supply.
r,ew Works milk supply comes from
several different states, yet they have
a fairly pure milk supply---for tho
municipal INSPECTORS of New York arc
active. ana only milk OF q certain
purity and quality is allowed sale.
Therefore the dairy men, although
theY live in other states, arc COM
PEELED TO provide pure milk, other
wise their milk would fall below the
municipal requirements, and would
pc refused sale. TO encourage the
use of pure milk, and to decrease the
mortality among infants, many thou
sands oe dollars have been donated
for the purpose OF establishing milk
centres, and pure nlIkAs distributed
to tho poor free of charge. This has
american cities, notably Boston,
Brooklyn Buffalo and Rochester.
and Il has effected very decided re-
auction IN the death-rate Of children.
The milk OF Raleigh. SO far az
have investigated. is unneccsssiri:
~ impure. This fact I have learned
through sad bedside experiences and
by repeated examination OF sample
or milk bought in TIE. open market.
Why Is our milk supply bad? Be
cause there is no supervision OF the
milk suppled 10 our homes. In sew
ttal instances, tine owners ~
our darics are interested in other
business. and leave the management
or their diaries more or less to the
care Of their employees, who are net
responsible TO any authority. for U1er"
is absolutely no supervision or IN
spectEon OF either the milk or the
ia ricG.
Much Of the mill, sold in Ralelgi,
IL transported from the farm To the
city. in tin cans. and is measured out
so the" consumer IN a tin quart can.
This measuring pot Is not washed
from the time 1t leaves the farm unit.
the wagon returns, and during the
entire trip 1t Is placed uncovered by
the milk can, wfcrc it can receive all
the dust and dirt from the street.
have been told by a driver of a
milk delivery wagon that he has an
Insufficient supply of bottles and that
very often he has to use the empty
bottles collected OH his rounds TO sup
ply his next customers Under such
circumstances, 1t would be impossible
10 deliver anything hut dirty milk.
OFTEN the farm sends In more milk
than Is delivered by the wagon, TIL"
surplus Is carried back To The farm.
Who prevents the return OF this milk
10 the market on the following day!
+ firmly believe that such milk is otter
sold In Raleigh. At present there il
no way OF preventing an lndividua:
who has been nursing a case o!
ljphtherla scurIet fever CT typhoid
fever. az any other infectious disease.
from atteudin. to his usual duties or
the dairy
we have no simple means by which
NC can definitely determine the purity
OF milk. The fact that milk appears
perfectly sweet is not a proof OF lc
purity Cor. if tho germs are already
in it. thc harmful changes may take
place even after the baby has had
It's meal: then. too, some disease
producing germs do not cause soiIr-
ing of the milk, and therefore thef
presence is not detected.
AS Il is generally impossible TO nr"-
cure cows milk sufficiently free frnn
Germs. we have TO use some measure
rs destroy tho germs already present.
The great principle OF all sterihzsnc
ie---tlrst, the killing OF germs present
in milk: ana secdha. the pi evening
81 other germs from entering irtn II
later: if both these ends are accom-
,iished. the milk will Keep sweet for
several days. There eve two classes
&c a,,raratds used 70 destroy sermR
nna known as u Steliizer. which
steril,zos the railk ut a boiling 's~.
neratnre 212 degrees T.: the other
called P9steur;Zer which Is really
4 modified eterjZer, killing the :-"rm-
al D much lower Temperature.
There arc certain diaadv8uta ge@ IN
stsr;j;viI,S millI--the taste Is very con-
siderablr changed: such milk Is verv
n.uah more constipating and more
difficult of digcsting. also it seems IN
nc less nutrtious--certainly children,
do not thrive as Well when fed 9n
steriiiZed milk as when nourjshed
(. with pure raw cows milk.
Pastevrization or the milk pro-
a.,