Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-23
DAIRY METHODS
TO Be REFORMED
CLEANLINESS TO BE FIRST
REQUIREMENT
Impure Milk Problem Is a Source OF
Worry to Board Of Health and
Stringent Regulations Are
to Be Adopted
...l...l.a..l.l ~.

Eternal cleanliness is the price of
pure milk. This is the solution given
by Health officer Powers for the milk
problem. But those to whom the purity
of milk means the most do not have it
II. their power to exercise the necessary
cleanliness, says DR.. Powers, so it must
he done at the dairies from whence the
lacteal fluid comes.
DR.. Powers asserts that most of the
milk sold in Los Angeles is better now
than 1t has been for some time, but
the conditions still are far from perfect
and the problem is growing more
serious all the time.
The rapid growth of Los Angeles and
the consequent increased demand for
milk is making this one of the hardest
problems with which the health depart
ment has to deal.
Milk is one of the best mediums for
the growth and multiplication of
Leonard. city bacteriologist, shows that
with every mouthful of milk swallowed
millions of germs find lodging in the
system of the drinker.
Not all Of these germs are harmful to
health, but that such quantities of
germs exist in the milk is evident by
the conditions under which the milking
is done and shows the great ease with
which the most deadly germs exist in
the fluid.
Is a Serious Problem
This milk problem is a big one"
said Health officer Powers yesterday.
1T is much bigger and more moment
Gus than most persons in this city real
ize. There are hundreds of dairies sup
plying milk to Los Angeles.
Milk comes from Orange county
as we'll as Los Angeles county
and it is next to impossible to
lay down a hard and fast rule for all
OF them. But we are going to take
such steps, from time to time, to i'm
prove the standard of the milk, as con-
ditions seem to justify.
THE ideal dairy is one where the
COWS are carefully washed by attend e
ants who are the very picture of clean
illness and then driven into another
room where the milk is caught in ves-
sells 'scrupulously clean.
THE first few streams of milk are
thrown away because they are neces-
sarily full of germs. The COWS are not
fed dry hay as is the case in most of
the dairies and the milk is handled in
sterilized cans"
The expense of conducting such a
dairy is large and there are very few
Of this nature within an easy distance
OF Los Angeles. The small quantity of
this milk that finds it's way to Los
Angeles is eagerly purchased at
twenty-five cents a quart.
The demand for milk at this price is
not sufficient to make it profitable for
all dairies doing business in Los An
geles to go to the expense made neces-
sary by this superlative degree OF
cleanliness, but it is possible to reduce
the count of germs in the milk by
reasonable precautions and the health
department will soon take steps to
have this done.
Objects to Dry Hay
'In nearly all the dairies that supply
milk to Los Angeles the cows are fed
dry hay during the milking process,
said DR.. Powers. This is unnecessary
and it is one of the worst sources OF
impurities in the milk The cows make
regular cloud of dust around theil
heads while eating this dry hay and
this cloud may contain almost any
thing in the shape of germs.
"A certain portion of this cloud OF
dust is bound to get into the milk anc
when once there the germs multiply