The Washington herald., 1907-05-26

From the Country Gentleman
On the afternoon Of March s. at the
city hall in New York City. before the
aldermen. there was a hearing on the
proposed legislation for the compulsory
pasteurIZation Of milk sent to the city
market The New York Association for
Improving the Condition Of the Poor has
been very active in all movements look
ing toward a purer milk supply for the
masses. The society does not believe
that pasteurizatlon is the best means TO
accomplish that end. II believes. rather.
that the best way is 10 clean up the
source Of milk supply by increased and
thorough inspection. and that no plan
for pasteurization should be allowed TO
cause any relaxation of efforts 10 get the
city a pure milk supply.
There seems. however. 10 be some
mysterious influence at work in favor of
making the pastcurization Of milk com
ing to the New York City market COM
pulsory either by the dealers or by es-
tablishing a municipal pasteurizing plant
a determined effort has been made to
convey the impression that a public
demand exists for the compulsory pas
teurizaii0n Of the City's milk supply
To an outsider. the impression conveyed
by the committees attitude toward
those appearing before It was that Of an
earnest desire TO get at the root Of
things. and learn just what course
would be productive Of the best results
to the milk consumers Of the city. There
are few dairies that furnish what is
known as certified milk" hut these cut
little figure. for they supply a special
trade at much higher than the ordinary
prices. and their product is beyond the
reach Of all except a few wealthy patrons.
So this class of milk would not be af-
fected by enforced pasteurIzation.
The first to appear and state his views
was a well-kn0wn physician and milk
expert. Mayor Brush. Of Mount Vernon
He has been making a study Of the milk
question for thirty years. especially for
infant feeding, and many years ago es-
tablished a dairy on his own farm to fur
nish milk that ne considered fit for the
feeding 0f infants and inyalids. simply
because the supply of milk available was
not suitable for the cases. He classes
pasteurized milk with canned foods, and
saws that pasteurizatiOn will not free
milk from injurious matter; that to ad-
vocate pasteurization IS to acknowledge
the inability Of the dairyman 10 produce
clean. wholesome milk. MIX from dis
eased cows, or milk containing tuber-
-culous germs cannot be made wholesome.
Pasteurizing is a process designed 70
kill disease germs in the milk. but. at
the same time. IL destroys the vitality of
the milk. materially lowers its nutritive
value. and not only does not improve
the milk IN any way but is bound TO in
jure 1t. He believes that the production
OF clean. pure. wholesome milk can be
enforced. but not at present prices to
the majority of producers. He advo-
Gates rigid inspection rather than in pas
teurization, municipal or otherwise.
Dr. Williams, Of the New York Acade-
my Of Medicine submitted a resolution
which he said represented the opinions
Of more than 100 physicians This did
not approve Of compulsory pasteuriza-
ton, unless for milk that Is from dairies
not proved to be thoroughly inspected.
They believe in mere thorough surer-
vision of the production and transporta-
tiOn Of milk The State and city authori-
ties should cooperate with the boards OF
health. and with the L. S. Department OF
Agriculture.
Another physician said that If milk
were to be considered DIS a medicine.
pasteurization IS all right. but if as an
article Of food pasteurization is injuri-
Gus. Fresh milk. if from healthy cows.
and handled in q Cleanly manner. is All
right. Pasteurization and sterilization
are both injurious He read opinions
from a French and an English expert,
also from experts in Boston. Elmira. and
/ New York 10 show that the commercial
! pasteurization of milk is unsafe. There
/ is no doubt that pasteUrizatio makes
| dirty milk more marketable. but some of
/ the experts quoted declared that chill
/ dren fed upon it were more subject TO
! scurvey and rickets.
/ DR.. Riley said that he had been study
/ ing the milk question for fOrty-five years
/ He uses from 100 70 200 quarts daily in his
| practice. He discovered some time since
/ that a human being can live on milk
alone, either sweet or sour and he
takes his own medicine. He would Just
as soon have his milk sour as sweet
even If he did not prefer it that way II
the city would have the milk examined
/ for tubercular baCilli. it might prove
| effective. He could not make the cures
| he does if he fed his patients on boiled
milk One trouble is that the COWS are
/ taxed to their utmost with long periods
of milking. fed insufficient feed. tied in
stables out Of the sunlight till it is nc
wonder that they get tuberculosis. Tc
get good milk. we shall have to put the
production on a different basis The
milk problem is a complicated affair. and
to settle it properly requires a great deal
| Of wisdom.
/ Or Brent. Of Bellevue. said that chill
dren fed on pasteurized milk do not dc
well. If the milk they use is found tC
contain more than 10000 bacilli to the
cubic centimeter. producers are notified
/ to improve conditions.
| II was said that the souring bacteria
| in milk are the preserving factors. and
| that pasteuriZing kills these. but leaves
/ those which cause putref1catiOn " is
customary in some dairies TO pasteuriZe
! cream. and then add special cultures OF
] the laCtiC-aCid variety. thus improving
/ the butter.
/ Mr.. Richardson spoke as the son Of a
man who owned twenty-five creameries
/ I'm Pennsylvania. Most Of the milk comes
/ from ordinary farmers VINO cannot go tC
/ the expense Of pasteurizlng. or making
any great changes in their methods OF
producing milk. Many farmers would stor
! sending milk to the cities If any extra
exDpnsa were added II all the DrO.