The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-09-05
Menace in the Milk.

The year book of the United States department
of agriculture, just issued contains Illustrated
article on milk and infectious diseases from which
the following extracts are made. The obvious
lesson taught from the statements set forth below
is that raw milk in such cities as New York is an
unsafe beverage.
AS has been repeatedly pointed out before the
simplest cheapest and surest way of minimizing these
dangers is properly performed pasteurizaton of the
entire ow-grade milk supply of the city Until this
result is achieved infected milk will continue to be
more or less potent factor in the annual mortality
statistics
at is now generally recognized that many of the
diseases which may be communicated from one
person to another caused by specific bacteria
The organisms causing some OF these diseases nave
not yet been discovered but the causal bacteria OF
many have been isolated and studied in detail Some
of these diseases occur usually only in human beings
others may occur with equal frequency in both man
and animal 1t is we'll known that certain diseases
are sometimes disseminated through milk. By this
means an epidemic may appear suddenly and last
for comparatively short time, or infection may De
continued for a long period and the development OF
the disease be SO slow and obscure that the source is
unknown.
Tuberculosis is an example of the latter class.
So much in regard to this disease is still unknown
SO many widely separated views are held, even
by those most familiar with the subject that it is
impossible to make positive statements. However,
tuberculosis of man with that of animals has been
raised and while it is not yet accepted as tact by
all investigators, a large majorlty OF the people
whose opinion has weight believe that the two d.
seases are Identical. x The tendency among
those who are studying the question most carefully
to consider milk serious source OF danger ITO
human beings.)
"a number of epidemics of diphtheria and scarlet
fever have been traced to the milk supply In d1-
seases of this nature the milk is infected by some
one suffering from attack of the disease or
through some one who has been IN contact with the
patient Obviously suffering from a con-
tagious disease or who is caring for diseased
person should be allowed to go near the stables or
milk room or handle milk utensils. Typhoid lever
while not c1assed as contagious disease, is COM
municated from one person to another. Inc ord1-
airy channel of communication IS generally consld-
cred to be the drinking water, which may be con-
ta1ninated by sewage, but occasionally 1t is d1sseml,
mated through the food. Milk may become injected
with this disease in various ways x and milk IS
an excellent place for growth of disease bacteria
"In this connection must be considered the sum
mer intestinal disease of children While the SPECIFIC
bacteria causing these troubles have not been recog
nzed in all cases. it is generally accepted that they
are carried by the milk and that this is the important
factor in their control 1t has been proved by care
full observation and statistics that the death rate
among babies in crowded cities can be materially
1accaned h,, crnn1vino them with good milk"