The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-07-27

A decrease of more than 80 per cent.
In deaths among infants during the
months of July and August has been
brought about in the city of Roches-
ter, N. Y, as u result of Health OF
icer George w. Goler's plan for pro-
vtding pure milk for babies. This has
been done at a cost of little more than
81, 900 a year, and DR.. Goler says that
what Rochester has done can be done
by any city at a proportionate cost.
Until the city established summer
milk stations the infantile mortality
In Rochester constituted more than
one-third of the total number of deaths,
but 1t has now been greatly reduced.
In he nine years from 1883 to 1896
there We're 6,629 deaths of children UNI
Ser 5 Years of age Fol the n~ine-year
period from 1897 to 1905. during which
the milk stations nave been in opera
ton, there were only 4,403 deaths, not
wi~thstanding that the city's popula-
ton has increased by $4,000.
Rochester was not exceptional in its
high i%nfanti mortality. The statistics
show that in the cities of large popu-
lation, and those of small population,
the number of deaths among young
children We're just as numerous AND
in some places even larger than here.
1t is not pretended that the results
accomplished are due solely to the i'm
proven Qudllly OIL llIc lllllN llldl Ia y
to the babies. Improvement in the
practice of medicine has perhaps had
R1uch to do with it,, u it is believed
that the milk has been the principal
factor.
Pure milk, according to DR.. Goler
n the Rochester health bureau, does
not mean pa%steurized or sterilized milk.
1t means, first of all, clean milk, and
to secure this it is necessary to see
that the COWS, the stables, the mixers,
the utensils and everything that the
milk encounters from the time it
leaves the COW to the time it reaches
the consumer are absolutely clean and
sanitary. If this is done, DR.. Goler con-
tends, pasteurization is unnecessary.
When the work was first undertaken
in Rochester pasteurization was re-
sorted to, and this was ollowed for he
first three years, but sine that time
such precautions have been taken to
insure absolute cleanliness of the milk
in the first place that it is not neces~
airy to submit it to any process to
free it from dirt or germs.
DR.. Goler's objection to ~pasteuriza-
ton is that heat applied to milk alters
it, makes it curd tougher and more diff
ficult to digest, often giving rise to in
digestion, diarrhoea or constipation in
the infant. According to him. the APP
p~lication of heat to milk in the oper-
alton of -pasteurizing it or sterilizing it
leads people to think they cure a con-
dition tina is more easily prevented by
care in the handling of milk used for
food. DR.. Goler believes that pasteuriza-
ton of milk is beginning at the wrong
end to remedy the condition.
The Rochester milk work was be-
gun in 1897. An examination of the
mortality tables had shown wha APP
peared to be an unnecessarily large
number of deaths of children under 5
years of age. 1t was also noted that the
larger number of these deaths occurred
in July and August.
Looking about for a cause, 1t was
soon concluded that the milk supply
was the great cause for the mortality.
Accordingly a systematic examination
of stables and dairies was undertaken.
They were found to be probably no
worse than stables in other places, but
the health authorities We're convinced
that there lay the chief source of trou-
BILE. The stables were dirty, festooned
with cobwebs and badly drained: the
surroundings were sinks of mud and
manure; the utensils dirty. often ON
tanning layers of soul milk with adj
mixture of countless millions of bac-
terra: and the milk itself was so imper-
fectly cared for and cooled that it Of
ten soured before reaching the con-
sumer.
When the milkmen We're approached
about the matter they replied that they
were taking the same care OF the COWS
and the milk that they had always
taken of them and that they could not
take better care of the milk for the
price current at the time-5 cents a
quart.
AS hone of Improvement in this di-
rection seemed futile the health bureau
determined, at least during the sum
mer season. to go into the milk pusl-
ness itself. In the summer of 1897 the
a vet MIRO milk station was opened
1t was established in a vacant store
in one of the most densely populated
districts of the city. A raine nurse
with a woman assistant was put IN
charge. Behind a rough counter a
large sink was installed, and the neces-
sary table. racks, ETC., were erected. An
oil stove furnished heat for the appar
atus in use.
The milk was procured from what
the milk inspectors thought to be one
of the best farms in the vicinity. Al
the store the milk was diluted, sweet
ened and put up in four different mix
lures of four, five, seven and elgh1
ounce nursing bottles.
1t was pasteurized at $50 degrees
Fahrenheit for twenty minutes, cooled
and sold at cost, varying from two
fo%ur-ounce bottles for cent to l cen
2 cents was required on Zach bottle
and rubber cork.
In the first instance the mother OF
nurse was required to go to the sta
ton and AXE h baby where, In the
absence of advice from a family ply
stefan, the baby was weighed and &
milk mixture prescribed according tc
the weight of the child and not ac-
cording to its age. The nurse talked
with the mother about the air, water
food. sleep. recreation and clothing OF
her child.
A pamphlet was also printed in Eng
lish, German, Italian and Yiddish, con
aiming in the simplest form the CHIEF
points RELATING to the care and feed
ing of infants. 1t was entitled How
to Take Care of Babies During the Hot
Weather" Across it's face in large rec
letters was printed: Give the Baby
Water" In type large and distinct
were these two sentences:
mo other milk, no otN ,r food, no,
even a can take the place
of milk from the child's own mother
"Don't feed bananas, candy, pop
corn, sugar or anything else but milk
unless told to do SO by you physi.
clam"
The headings of the pamphlet were:
/. Give it pure air day and night.
2. Give it nc food but mothers milk