Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-24
IMPROVE MILK;
SAVE The BABIES
DR.. KURTZ SCORES USERS
OF FORMAL LDEHYDE
Member Of Board Of Health Tells OF
Efforts Being Made to Compel
Dairymen to Deliver Only
Pure Milk

Agitation for purer milk will result
in cleaner and pured foodstuHs IN
every line, according to a statement
made yesterday by DIR. Carl Kurtz, one
of the most active members OF the
board of health. DR.. Kurtz says the
board is preparing to enforce rlgldiy
the laws governing adulterated foods.
The milk problem now is occupying the
attention of the board and efforts are
being made to provide the babies with
their foods in as uncontaminated
state as possible
Contaminated milk may contain mil
lions of germs to the cubic centimeter
and none of them may be the germ of
a contagious disease, but milk In this
state produces organic trouble among
babies, say experts.
"Our dairymen are negligent" said
DR.. Kurtz yesterday, they take but
little care to see that the cows and
utensils are clean and most Of them
milk into big open cans and then let
the milk stand around without being
covered. Flies settle all over the cans
and many Of them fall into the milk.
Most of the flies have probably just
come from a pile of barnyard refuse.
This Is one of the most prolific sources
of contamination"
Proper icing is the solution that DR..
Kurtz offers for reducing the number
of bacteria In milk. Bacteria cannot
propagate in temperature Of less than
go degrees Fahrenheit and with the
milk properly packed In ice in cars
made for the purpose, as is the case in
New York city, the milk will reach ths
city freezer from germs and babies will
have less organic trouble" says the
doctor
Efforts of Health Board
1.-THE health commission appointed
by the present administration has en-
deavored to make Los Angeles one Of
the cleanest cities in the United
States" said DIR. Kurtz. 1.-THE laws
governing the sale of impure food
have been enforced with more vigor,
and dairies and slaughter houses have
been personally inspected by the board
with the result that the citizens Of Los
Angeles are getting better meat and
cleaner milk than ever before.
However, a great deal remains to
be accomplished. A crematory is now
under construction and it is hoped that
after it's completion the garbage of the
city will ne gathered in sanitary steel
wagons and 'cremated, instead of being
dumped just outside the city limits.
Mortality Reduced
Regarding the sale of impure milk
1 will say that the mortality among
infants has been reduced this summer.
Last year a great number of deaths
occurred from gastroenteritis, the
cause of which might be directly
traced to formaldehyde poisoning.
About week ago a dairyman was
convicted and fined $10O for selling
milk containing formaldehyde. The
fine should have been at least $1,000 or
Imprisonment for it is formaldehyde
more than bacteria in milk that kills
the babies. A few convictions of this
character would soon put stop to this
nefarious practice. The dairymen
know that formaldehyde is deadly
poison, still they have been pouring
this stuff into the only food that the
poor little innocents can take. Why do
they use formaldehyde? Because it is
one Of the cheapest as well as one of
the best antiseptics. Because the cows
and stanchions are kept in such an un-
sanitary condition that the milk con-
tains millions of bacteria to the cubic
centimeter and the milk soon decon-
poses. The board of health has waged
such a crusade against the dairymen
that marked improvement Is Begin
ming to be noticed in the quality Of the
lacteal fluid.
I'VE intend to establish a standard
for milk delivered at the depots and
this rule will be enforced to the letter.
This will result in better transportation
facilities and icing. 1t is our intention
to fight along these lines until every
article of food delivered to the con-
sumer is pure and wholesome.
1.-THE rigid enforcement of sanitary
rules and the laws pertaining to adul-
terated foodstuffs will result In better
food and a reduction of the mortality
rate"
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