Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-24
DR.. Moore Reports
Investigation
Believes Deaths Of Infants Caused by
Impure MiIk-TelIs Of Plans
to Remedy the
EVIL


some facts connected with the health of
the city.
DR.. l.. M. Powers, city health officer,
told of the needs of his department.;
DR.. Albert w. Moore member of the
board of health, discussed the citys |
milk supply, and Councilman Walter
J. Wren revealed what a committee dis
covered at the receiving hospital and
disclosed portions of the recommended
tions, which include the acquisition of
new and more commodious quarters,
the employment of a chief surgeon and |
three assistants, and several trained
nurses.
The statements of cold facts concern
ing the conditions which prevail In the
health department and surrounding the |
milk supply, and anent the receiving |
hospital, gave the hearers chillS of dis |
gust, and at the conclusion of the three |
speeches several members, including |
President Lissner, Secretary Wharton |
and Herbert Burdette, secretary of the
realty board, made brief remarks in
which they said that the conditions de-
scribed were a disgrace to the city and
should be remedied at once.
Related by DR.. Powers
Marshal Stimson who yesterday |
acted as POSTMASTER, first introduced |
DIR. Powers, who said that he was
pleased to say that the board of health |
was receiving aid more rapidly than
it had hoped for, but that there still
remained much to be done in the way
of ordinances and help to place the
health department where it belonged.
DR.. Powers regretted that the bill CIV
ing the department the right to abate
nuisances on property of non-residents
and make the cost a lien on the prop
erty did not become law.
He urged the passage of an ordinance
giving the department the right to in
spect hotels lodging houses and kitch |
ems of public eating places, and in con-
nection with the subjects he related in
cidents connected with visits to such
places that caused a painful look to
come over the faces of his hearers, who
had just discussed an attractive menu,
DIR. Powers also discussed the smoke
nuisance, and said that while the pas
sage of more strict ordinance would
be of great assistance, the trouble
would not be completely removed until
manufacturers were educated in the
matter of smoke consumption and were
brought to a realization that under
present conditions they were burning
money by failing to burn smoke.
DR.. Powers also urged medical in
spection of schools and the employment
of nurses to look after cases of con-
tagious diseases among scholars.
Bad for the Babies
DR.. Moore also was responsible for
considerable shuddering on the part of
his hearers when he told about the
1ty's milk supply. He said in part:
81 desire at this time to tell you few
of the conditions of some of the sources
of our city milk supply.
'It was my fortune or perhaps mis-
fortune to be one of the party to visit
a few of the dairles three Sundays
past.
81 am interested in our milk supply
for three reasons:
''First. In my family we are raising
baby, depending on the city milk for
his nourishment.
Second Doing a great deal of medi-
cal work among infants, naturally see
a great many of the deleterious effects
of our dirty milk.
"Third. Being citizen of this great
city, and representing it as one of it's
health officials. = feel that milk which
is one of the greatest food products of
the majority of infants and adults,
should receive the most careful con-
sideration of our board in regard to its
cleanliness.
"You no doubt have read the findings
of our board after visiting ten dairies.
AS I wrote the report, l feel at liberty
at this time to discuss a few of its find
ings.
''I wish to read a few of the extracts
of this report and impress on your
minds the utter disregard some of these
dairymen have for the city health in
the way of cleanliness"
DR.. Moore then read extracts from
his report, which was published re-
Gently, and then continued:
Treat Them as Criminals
eve cited these dairymen before the
board and I was severely criticised by
t,tfN Il frrr,, f1,,
making motion to revoke their IL
censes until they lived up to our rules
of sanitation. The remainder of the
board saw fit to give them ten days to
clean up.
Gentlemen, that has been the policy
heretofore, and they do clean up, but
within a few days, or weeks, they are
back to their old condition If not worse
than before
Gentlemen, these men are criminals,
as they are knowingly forcing contain
mated milk on the public, and as Grim
inals they should be treated.
Milk is the greatest infection carrier
we have, and 1t is great wonder to
me that we have not had epidemics
with the most terrible fatality as the
result of the milk delivered in this
city. In Chicago a few months ago,
the epidemic of diphtheria was traced
to its milk supply. If 1t were not for
the cllnldtlc COllulllOLS III llllS Dtdulllul
sun-kissed land we would have more
deaths than we do and the Lord knows
we have enough as 1t is among our in
fants who are depending on milk for
their sustenance.
"Dr Powers our health officer, has
been hampered by too little help for
milk inspection. Until a few days ago
he had but two milk inspectors to visit
about 5000 dairies within a radius of
twenty-five or thirty miles of this city.
The council of late, at our boards re-
quest, has allowed us five more inspect
ors making a total of seven. With
these we are going to commence a milk
crusade, which will mean pure milk or
these men will go out of the dairy busi-
ness.
81 wish at this time to say few
words of praise for Dr. Powers, our
most efficient health officer He is a
man who has worked increasingly day
and night for our city's health. He has
been criticised unjustly for the faults
OF others. He has been hampered by
few naftv nOliticians working In and