Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-06-05
Maine MiIk Problem Uusolved.

| ocrats farfs. Me-
Maine Milk Problem Unsolved.
PORTLAND BOARD OF HEALTH EXTENDS
TIME WHEN EDICT GOES INTO EFFECT
TO JUNE 1O-FARMERs UP IN ARMS.
The difficulty between the Portland,
Me-, board of health and the farmers
shipping milk to that city has not been
amicably settled. The board of health
stolidly maintains that cows supplying
the city with milk must be tested and
certificate of the same made out. The
board has, however, advanced the date
when this edict ia to take effect to June
10. This gives the farmers and milk
dealers ten days more time than was
Originally proposed. The farmers, on
the other hand, are as firmly refusing to
have their herds tested, as was noted in
The New England Homestead recently.
Enthusiastic mass meetings have been
held and the old milk producers asso-
citation reorganized.
From an unbiased position, The New
England Homestead has made extensive
inquiry into, the difficulty between the
Portland board of health and the farm
ers producing milk in that section.
Both sides have been given an oppor-
tunity to tell their story and the accom-
panying notes will prove interesting in
this connection. The inquiry was not
entirely confined to Maine, but all of the
New England states were included.
The consensu of opinion seems to favor
the farmers view point. With hardly
an exception, all agree that tuberculin is
the most reliable diagnostic agent
known in determining the presence of
tuberculosis. However, the test must
be conducted by Thoroughly experienced
men and even then, it is not infallib,e.
TRAINED MEN ESSENTIAL TO GOOD TEST.
The very worst cases are those which
frequently do not respond. However, it
is fortunate that ordinarily a physical
examination will reveal the presence of
the disease in such instances. Relative
to whether or not an animal will re-
spond to the test even though it has no
traces of the tuberculous LESSONS, the
best authorities indicate that such in
stances are far from the rule, and, in
fact, are rare only in the case of
veterinarian who does not take into con-
sideration other conditions which may
bear directly on the case in hand.
For, instance, the animal may be
under some particularly local condition
which would give the diagnostic rise in
temperature. These things will not
often battle an experienced veterinarian
and the gist of the whole matter thus
seems to be that tuberculin testing is all
right, provided the work is done by an
experienced man. But the last clause is
the sticker.
IDEAL MILK COSTS MONEY.
Relative to the edict of the Portland
board of health requiring every farmer
to give certificate of examination for
his cows before the milk therefrOm can
be sold in Portland, the inquiries of The
New England Homestead indicate, with
barely an exception, that clean milk,
free from tuberculous conditions, is to be
recommended. However, the city of
Portland should not expect its producers
to submit to the provisions named in the
ruling of the board of health, unless q
substantial advance in price of milk Is
made. In other words, if the consum-
ers of milk in the city of Portland are 80
anxious about the milk supply, they
must expect to pay for the "milken
idol" they have set up.
BOARD OF HEALTH POSITION.
Under date of May Is, Harry NJ. Bige-
low of Portland board of health, writes
the following interesting letter to The
New England Homestead: "The milk
situation here in Portland is something
as follows: The ordinances of this city,
approved by Justice Haskell Of the
Maine supreme court in 1894, provide in
substance that no milk shall be sold in
this city, other than that which comes
from cows tested for tuberculosis
Early in March the board OF health at
the request of certain physicians and
citizens and with the consent OF the
milk producers had tested three herds Of
cattle. Over 7 per cent of this number
were found to have tuberculosis and the
post-mortem examination proved 1t be-
yond a question. With the percentage
so large the board continued its exami-
nation of cows supplying milk to Port
land, with the consent of the owners of
such cows.
"The percentage of diseased animals
Increased until it reached 10 IL per cent.
At that time the board issued an order
requiring all cows supplying milk to
this city, to be tested before the product
could be sent into Portland for sale, and
az all dealers in milk here are required
to be licensed, the board also ruled that
no license should be issued excepting to
those dealers whose product comes from
tubeI culin tested cows and where the
conditions of the tie-up and other ar
rangements for handling milk were at
least fairly sanitary.
ssUnder this regulation the milk deal
ers have been urging farmers TO have
their animals tested, and the testing has
been going on without opposition, ex-
cepting in one section. In some in
stances entire herds have been found to
be not only diseased, but absolutely
rotten with tuberculosis. In some
places only an isolated case has been
found and as the inspection reaches out
farther into the country and away from
the shipping points, the cattle are found
to be more healthy and conditions under
which milk Is handled much more salts
factory.
"Tie-ups have been found absolutely
filthy and the way in which milk has
been handled 40 bad in many cases that
the product has been ruled out OF the
city and will be kept out until condi-
tions have improved. As to the number
of cases where the tuberculin test has
failed on examination to show well
marked cases of tuberculosis, am In
formed that the percentage has been less
than per cent. / believe that In W
cases out of 100, the disease in the cows
killed has been 80 plain a. to have been
satisfactory even to the owner OF the
cows. What am stating is only what
has becu reported to me by the cattle
commissioners or the men engaged 10
the work. The farmer has been PAID
about 20 to 80 cents a can for milk sent
into Portland. Under the new order OF
things he will be paid at least 4 cents q
can more for his milk, and will be ex-
pected to live up to tho requirements OF
not ONLY the board Of health, but COM
mon decency and keep his milk pure
and clear from contamination"
WHAT FARMERS SAY.
OF the cows that have been killed, /
think about 75 per cent have been per-
fectly healthy and IL is an outrage to
compel the farmers to part with their
best COWS just to please the ~whim OF
men who happen 10 be on the city board