The Washington herald., 1907-03-29

With a view 10 determining to what ex-
tent the prevalence OF typhoid fever in
the District is due TO the milk supply, the
Commissioners will call a conference OF
medical authorities and dairymen at
which win be determined the procedure
to be followed in the endeavor 10 eradi-
cate the disease Additional efforts to
reduce to a minimum the danger not only
OF typhoid, but OF other diseases, from the
milk supply viii be made by the local
health department. aided by the inde-
pendent inspection Of the Bureau of AMI
NAL Industry.
The bill for the improved regulation Of
the milk business, which was presented
to the last Congress by the Commission
eqs. ana which covered practically all the
points suggested in the recent report Of
the Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service. viii be revised and presented to
the next Congress.
study of Dairy Infection.
As the result OF a conference concern
ing the report of the Public Health and
Marine Hospital Service, Commissioner
AIacfarland and Dr. W c. Woodward.
health officer, decided that only two sug-
gestions were definitely indicated. First,
that the shallow wells be closed. which
Commissioner Maefarland promptly rec
commended. and. second. that further
efforts be made TO improve the milk sup
ply.
In reference to the latter subject, Dr.
Woodward yesterday submitted to the
Commissioners a report. in which it is
81 ea-rrl ase4r =
infection, il carries il, directly or indi-
reetly, from a typhoid fever patient; and
in the various milk outbreaks that have
come to the attention of the health de-
partment. this has been found to be the
case. the focus Of infection being located
with reasonable certainty in a patient on
the dairy farm or in the dairy.
The small likelihood of infection from
washing dairying utensils with impure
well water is also pointed out. The poll
luton on a dairy farm would more likely
come from animal than human sources,
and the infection would soon disappear.
as the bacteria cannot propagate IN a
well.
Citizens should Help Movement.
The report of the health officer further
says:
''The health officer long ago took an
active part in the organization Of the milk
commission of the Medical Society of the
District of Columbia. bat during the
many years Of its existence the commits
sion has never been called upon to inves-
tigate any milk supply with view to its
certihcaton. The Commissioners have
sought. too. for many years past to
strengthen the law regulating the sale Of
milk i'm the District of Columbia
efforts have been made 10 procure tho
enactment OF 4 law requiring milk TO be
kept cool, and 10 enlarge the powers Of
the health officer in the matter of sus-
pending and revOdng permits. and in
the matter Of preventing the sale OF im-
pure or unWholesOme milk, but without
avail II may be, however, that the im-
provement OF our milk supply viii be
FASTENED if a sufficient number of rep
resentative citizens be interested in the
movement to give il more impetus than
It appears possible for it 10 receive
through the efforts of the Commissioners
and the health officer and the efforts of
physicians who. of all our citizens, have
been the only ones to interest themselves
actively in procuring the enactment of "a
better law 10 govern the production and
sale of milk"