The Washington herald., 1908-09-06
By NATHAN sTRAUs.


everywhere Il IS OF interest 10 note what
fruit a similar agitation has borne IN the
United States I have the satisfaction Of
knowing that il was owing in great
measure 20 my efforts that the interest
of our government was aroused in a pure
milk supply.
Sixteen years ago / started my work
in New York City and extended it gradu-
ally 10 other places The results which
followed wherever ! introduced pasteur-
ized milk were brought 10 the notice OF
the Public Health Department Of the
United States; and the very extensive re-
port, Milk and Its Relation 10 Public
Health" is the outcome OF nay agitation
demonstrated practically by the dis
tributioa Of pasteurized milk the great
need and the great results that can be
attained Coincident with this distribu-
ton the infantie death rate Of New York
City steadily decreased from So Per Loo0
in 1se2 to 81 per 100 in 1851 similar good
results followed wherever pasteUrized
milk was introduced
In the summer of 1875 there were ty-
phoid outbreaks in the District OF Colum-
bia- which thanks 10 an efficient iuspec-
ton service, were traced 10 the milk sup
ply
dered q thorough investigation OF the
milk problem 10 be made by the officials
Of the public health service. with the
assistance Of the Department OF Agricul-
ture- With extraordinary dispatch The re-
suits OF this inquiry are now laid before
Us IN a volume Of about 80 pages en-
titled MIX and Its Relation 70 The Pub
&c Health"
The bulletin is not the report OF q com
2 - T--7r7E
or monographs by the departmental spe-
cialists on various aspects Of the milk
question with an introduction ia which
Surgeon General Wyman briefly ailudes
10 the most striking results OF each OF
the papers
Good MIX Infected Spreads Disease.
suppose It is well known by this time
that the germs Of disease can be carried
IN milk and that epidemic outbreaks are
often traceable 10 that source. Typhoid.
scarlet fever. and diphtheria are the dis
eases most frequently spread n this way,
but We learn from the bulletin that Asi-
attic cholera. dyssntery- and Malta fever
are also communicate through milk
one special subject for inquiry By the
American Investigators was the frequency
Of these milk epidamics." as they are
called An enormous amount OF sratis-
teal material relating 10 The last fly
years has accordingly been collected and
s5fted Here YOU VIII ind summarized
the essential details Of 81 outbreaks Of
typhoid. 125 OF scarlet fever. and u Of
diphtheria. AL owing their origin 20 in
fected milk. though Il IS admitted that
not all the statistics available from for
eign sources have been included
Thus. while the United States furnishes
132 instances OF typhoid. . Of scarlet
fever. and IS Of diphtherta. the United
on
cases. respectively. the SUN total Of all
three diseases from other countries being
about 80
So far We have been dealing with cases
where milk had become infected on its
way from the COW to the consumer.
There is. Of course. another class Of cases
in which the milk is already infected
when il leaves the COW
Ins contempt Of 2reCaution Is more
cuIpabIe. perhaps. when human diseases
are allowed 70 infect the milk. but il is
only another degree OF neglect which toll
crates the sale Of milk from diseased
cattle
TubercuIosfs in Milk
That negligence must now De brarced
as criminal which allows animals suffer
ing from tuberculosis To contribute 10 the
supply Of milk destined for human food.
II is ridiculous AZ this late hour TO quib-
BE over any possible difference there may
be between bovine and human tGbercu-
losis. EDgiishmen VIII probably be con-
tent with the verdict Of the British royal
commission on tuberculosis as 10 this
matter. but the doubters in America. and
even the Germans themselves. have been
forced 10 the same conclusion. viz that
tuberculosis. whether IN animal or man.
IS essentially the same disease. and is
communicable from animal 10 man II
milk
This I hold TO be a reason Of para
mount Importance for insisting on public
control Of the milk supply. or at least or
precautionary measures for securing non.
tube-culous milk for the innocent chill
dren who mEst have milk and who can.
not protect themselves.
More than LOO Of the COWS supplying
milk 10 the city Of Washington were Off
cially tested last year, and nearly i pei
cent had 10 be pronounced tuberCul1sIs
Had all the cows in all the herds beer
examined, no doubt the percentage w0ult
have been much higher. say > per cent
The figures are first hand and speak TO
themselves.
TubercIe BaciII. in Milk
Let rs see next what the bacteri0logist
find who examine samples Of milk as sol,
IN the great towns In Liverpool. for in
stance. in ISsS-s. 8 per cent CT the sam
pies from town diaries and = per cen
from country dairies contained tubercI
bacilIL About the same time nine out o
sixteen dairies supplying the colleges a
Cambridge were found 70 be selling then
mi-1 that was tuberCulOus-
The latest research on milk tuberCle
Dr.. John F Anderson's examination @
the Washington milk. fuIl details OF whicl
are given in the bulletin The result
are summed up in the statement that ap
proxinately Il per cent Of the dairie
whose milk was examined contained u
bercIs bacilH virulent for guinea pigs
L is easy 10 see the magnitude Of h
evil but what is to be the remedy Oh
viously the thing TO be aimed al Is com
puIsory examination OF all cows by tn
tubercuiin test and wedding out Of thos
found 70 be rubercuious. This is dis
il IS very wisely suggested that the oh
jectionable cows should be purchased ou
o. d government compensation fund. as
81 fact IS already done in Pennsylvanis
But the maximum OF scrUpulosity entail
Rn increase in the price OF the produc
which places II beyond the reach Of OF
dinaTy purchasers
There remains therefore. for the pres
eut at least, but one way Of dealing wit
al milk whatever, except in q few specis
cases where IL IS procured under excer
tionaIly favorable conditions-and that &
in my opinion. pasteurization-
The writer's in the bulletin fully agre
with ne on this point I an entitled {
cougra tulate myself a little on the chang