Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-09-13
DEADLY GERMS
LURK IN THE
MILK JUG
NEGLECT OF SIMPLE
PRECAUTIONS FATAL
Nathan Straus Sounds Warn
ing Against Criminal Folly of
Feeding UnsteriIized Product
to Young Children,

Brussels. Sept. 12.-At the opening
session of the second annual lnterna-
tional Congress des Gouttes de I.ait,
an interesting paper on the solution OF
the milk problem in he United states
was read BY Mr. Nathan Straus OF
New York Mr.. Straus said.
At the last Congress international
des Gouttes de Lait | WAS a solitary
voice from America declaring that
child life should be protected from
infected milk by pasteurization.
Today | come with the same mes-
sage endorsed by the most distinguish
ed scientists of my country and for
mally and officially promulgated by
the government of the United States
Of America.
Two years ago. at the congress at
Paris argued and pleaded for poll
icy that would save lives by the hum
dred thousand; today ] have the honor
and satisfaction TO report most sub
stantial progress toward the accept
ance by my country OF the milk pro-
gram then outlined.
For fifteen years ! have sounded In
America the warning that raw milk
kills In An article contributed to
The Forum. OF November, 1894.
made the following emphatic declara-
tion:
Here let me say that the penalty
OF disease and death, paid for the neg
leet OF simple precautions in the use
OF milk, is by no means paid eXclu-
sivey by the poor. Milk is not al
ways good IN proportion to the price
paid for Il. nor free from the germs
of contagion because It has come from
cattle of aristocratic lineage. The lat
ter quality. as recent experience has
shown, carries with It a special sus-
ceptibility TO tuberculosis In milk
intended for infant nutriment perfect
sterilization Is an absolutely essential
precautlon. hut, simple as the process
Is. il is not always certain, even in the
homes OF the rich. that It viii be prop
erly done. | hold that In the near
future II will be regarded as a piece
Of criminal neglect o feed young chill
dren on milk which has not been ster-
ilized"
These statements, whose Justice
will be recognized by you. fellow
members of this congress, We're re-
ceived with lncredulity in the United
States. / was called an alarmist. The
dangers to which / pointed were min
imized by medical men of standing.
For years Professor George M. ko-
ber, Of Georgetown university stood
the dissemination of scarlet fever. ty-
phoid and diphtheria by means Of in
fected milk. No longer ago than May
OF this year. a medical commission
the danger Of tubercu-
lar Infection through milk as slight,
but this was the dying gasp of the
opposition to the pasteurization OF the
milk supply, which has crumbled
away as ignorance has given place to
knowledge.
While / persisted in warning against
he use of raw milk, | provided pas
eurlzed milk for the babies of New
York City. This was regarded as an
lmiable beneVolence. The virtue of
he enterprise. I'm the eyes of most
people, was that II provided food for
he poor at less than cost, or for
nothing.
Gradually. however. as the infantile |
leath rate OF New York city went /
teadiy down. from 96.2 per l.000 In /
S92 to 55 per LOCO In 1906, coinci- /
lent with the increased use Of pas |
eurized milk. the significance Of my |
work became apparent. and the con- (
-iction spread that the virtue of the /
itraus milk was not its low cost but |
asst. but the fact that the milk was
he fact that the milk was pasteuf-
zed
while this demonstration was going
n In New York city epidemics Of In
ectious diseases IN various parts OF
he country, especially in Boston and
'hicago. We're directly and indisput-
bly, traced to the use OF raw infect
d milk, emphasizing the urgent need
Or action. Scientific men, studying
he milk problem. were forced 10 de-
ide that public safety demanded pas
and IN notable statement
Z the problem as affecting New YORK
ity. Or Ernst J. Lederle. former
Of health, declared That
should be insisted upon
! all cases IN which there was no
roof that the dairy herds were free
'om tuberculosis.
Investigations BY government ex-
erts made clear the fact that the
eril Of tuberculosis in milk was far I
reater and far more frequent than \
ad been generally understood. The ,
udies Of Professor NJ. j RoscnHu. ]
the public health service. proved 5
lat the advantage Of pastcurizalun &
Ir outweighed the disadvantage. IL 4
lere are any. 10
Finally. early this summer. the 9
resident OF the United states became
convinced Of the dangers Of raw a
ilk that he ordered "a thorough Of .
rial Investigation Of the whole prob
m. with a view to legislation By the .
deral congress
These steps toward The protection ,
the people. and especially % the
Iildren. were the consequence of an
yRkning Of the public Intelligence
"a a stirring of the popular con-
fence. The people stood aghast at
q revelation 81 millions ~ babies
n daily az the mercy of disease
rms hidden in the ordinary market
Tx
Infant MIX Stations. "a
In five American cities infant milk =
itions are now maintained and are a
hieving remarkable results in reduc- r.
< infantlle mortality "a
In New York city. my own work i
Is extended frhm one central station
seventeen depots and the output Of :
steurized milk has Increased from i
200 bottles IN 1888 10 3.ffe.252 bot !.
= and l.e7s.s s0s giasses IN 1895. a n
IA of az least 100000 bottles and \
,o9. eco glasses o. already Indicated i
r this year In addition. more er =.
(ContiBued on Page , Cot ~ q