The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-01-06

Having thus disposed of the water
bugaboO," said DIT Magruder in an
interview ON the subject, II now want
10 give you some figures on the milk
situatiOn-the real cause Of the evil
When once the public is acquainted
with the true situation / believe that
the clamor viii be so great that Con-
gress viii realize at once the necessity
of providing an appropriation for a milk
laboratory. II Is absolutely imperative
for the health OF Washington.
In the beginning II is astounding TO
know that OF the 500 farms supplying
milk 20 the city. whose purity average.
We viii say, should be 100 per cent. the
real average is only sos just half OF
what il should be. OF course there are
some few sanitary farms. a few passa-
BILE ones. and "A great many which fur
nish milk that should be dumped into
the gutter as soon as 1t reaches the
city. Thousands of gallons would be
thus disposed Of should this same milk
be offered FOR sale in Boston and New
York and in many other cities, but in
Washington il is impossible for the
health Officers. with a limited force
and limited means 20 give this vital
question the attention II deserves. nor
are they expected to-"
Continuing DIT. Magruder read an ex-
tract from a speech he delivered by re-
quest before the American Society OF
Civil Engineers in New York on No
vember Z. last, which embodies the re-
suit Of his several years investigation
and study OF the pure milk problem.
Features of Investigation.
Some Of the most interesting features
OF the investigation conducted by Dr.
Magruder and the Agricultural Depart
ment. and which will have a decided
influence upon the proposed legislation
for the establishment Of a laboratory
here. are embodied in this address and
are as follows;
A very careful record Of the bae-
terial examinations OF the water supply
OF Washington had been kept, both be-
fore and after the installation Of the
filtration plant, and it happened on sew
eral occasions that there were very high
counts OF bacteria iE the water drawn
from the taps in two Of the laboratories
there. These high counts we're far in
excess of any that had been obtained
at any time in the laboratory at the fill
tratiOn plant. AS there was Il question
in his mind and among his scientists. IL
was decided that IL would be very de-
sirable 10 have a conference between
dr. Hardy and Mr.. Longley, who were
in charge of the filtration works. and
the scientists Of the Agricultural De
partment.
This nference-authOriZed BY the
SeCretary-Was held about September %
1906 and il was agreed 10 institute a
series of check experiments. From that
time TO the present those check expert
ments have been going on The results
have been uniformly the same. In ad-
dition TO these special observations
daily tests have been made. The Sec
rotary Of Agriculture has also ordered
a thorough inspection OF the soc dairy
farms that supply milk TO Washington.
A few years ago the speaker traced
sixteen cases of typhoid fever to one
dairymans farm. This dairyman had
typhoid fever in his family, and the re-
fuse from the patients was thrown out
on the dump. The milk cans were
washed in the same water that the fam
flv used, and the cans were contamin-
ated BY this water.
Investigations during the past summer
into the influence of the milk
supply upon typhoid fever have shown
that twenty-five cases were traced TO