The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-02-07
OF this state alone there wouldn't be
any guarantees Of pure milk.

VI luis state atone Cnere wouldn't pc
any guarantee Of pure milk.
With the cost Of getting rid Of the
tubereuious cows in this state alone
so prohibitive, it might be wondered
why DR.. Darlington wants to have
few more S1,20U inspectors, so that
every few years one may drop in at a
dairy and try to throw a scare into
the farmer. None OF the farmers is
green when 1t comes to ,slz1pg up
inspectors, and all Of them are BRET
ty sure to know that, inspectors are
the same whether they hold "a Job
down In the city Or in the country.
Abe only nice thing to be, urged about
this inspection method Of guarding
New York from the grave danger Of
mepaces 1t is that the more scared
people get the more inspectors, per-
haps, will be. authorized and the
more jobs there will be at $1,000 q
year for some fortunate individuals
to, pick up. The, inspectors will have
no more power to rid the state of
the tuberculous COWS than the pres
ent ones have. but they will undoubt-
edly enjoy visiting the farmers.
The absolute futihty of this meth
Cd OF guarding this city from con-
sumption and epidemics of scarlet
fever, typhoid fever and diptheria
Is known to almost every one who
has looked into the milk question
at all with the possible exception of
DR.. Darlington. DR.. Darlington lie still
for the preventive method, as ne TAlls
1T, for purifying at the source, With
no power given to the purifier and
with about a thousand danger spots
to each purifier. One of those VINO say
that the thing Is absolutely impos-
sible by this method is III. w. H.
Park, the bacteriologist OF the health
department.
There Is absolutely no way" said
he yesterday, that New York may be
certain to get milk that is free from
germs except by pasteurizing the
milk. In my opinion 1t ought to be
done In this city, the nearest point
to the consumer. Whether or not the
city should do It and pay the expense
Ia Of course another thing. But even
should the dairymen themselves do
1t they would not be justified in
charging. more than a cent more a
quart, and perhaps not that. do not
SAY that am in favor of pasteuriz-
that most Of the milk should be pas
teurized. and that certainly only two
kinds Of milk should be sold in this
city, pasteurized milk or raw milk
that was certified to by physicians
as coming from such dairies as the
milk commission supervises. The
fact that the farmers are not seeking
to conform to these requirements
means that all but a few quarts
should certainly be pasteurized as
the rest comes from places where
there Is an ever present danger, par
ticularly from tuberculosis"
There were 207 deaths from tuber-
culosis reported last week in this
city, and that isn't by any means the
total number of deaths from that
disease, because many are not re-
ported. 1t was pointed out yester-
day that this would seem to show
that there was decidedly more need
of pure milk law even than Of q
pure food law. The government stop
ped in when it came to correcting
the ahuRes In 81 regard IT, foods. .~x,..,.,.
You've got to label food what it is
under this new. law, but there isn't
any label on most Of the milk COM
Ing into New York, because, as it
" dS ddlhlIISu .uODOuy Cdu
certify that milk doesn't contain
thousands Of the germs Of tuberculo-
sis unless it has been pasteurized.
DR.. Darlington and the health board
have the power at any time to de-
clare that no milk shall be sold here
that isn't pasteurized just as the gov
eminent has decreed that no food
shall be hold that Is harmless. The
simple plea that it was necessary to
stop the spread of consumption
would be enough to justify it. The
only possible way to have 1t done
properly, most experts agree, would
be for the city to, do 1T. That would
mean an annual expense perhaps Of
several millions of dollars, an amount
| little short Of that asked for frequent
| ly Of the board Of estimate by DR..
Darlington to stop the spread Of dis
eases which the city hasn't tried to
lpreyent.