The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-23

The question of producing a sanitary and wholesome milk supply for the people Of a community or a municipality is one of the most important sanitary prob lems of the present time. Consequently it behooves the municipal authorities to take into their hands and by the ex- ercise of their police powers inspect, su- pervise and control the production as well a.5 the sale of the various dairy products for the protection of the health of the consumer.
 Since the daires are the fountain heads of the municipal supply and since the conditions prevailing and the methods of handling the milk while at the dairies has a great influence on the purity and wholesomeness of the milk produced, the inspection must necessarily begin at the dairies.
 During the year the work of inspecting the various dairies selling milk in the city, about 106 in number was carried on regularly and continuously through out the year. Each dairy was visited as often as possible, while those in close proximity to the city were inspected as many times as six or eight times, others being very far out and necessitaJing long drives were not visited quite as often, although several Inspections were made of those dairies located as far out as F miles.
 
 of inspecting the large number of dairies necessarily requires a great deal of time; many trips have to be made and many miles of road travelled over on these trips as the dairies are located in almost every direction from the city. covering the greater part of Jones and Shades valleys. The field to be covered Is so vast that the ground cannot be gone over as often or as thoroughly as the department would like, owing to the limited number of men in the department.
 Many times when dairies were found to be in an unsatisfactory condition 1t became the duty of the inspector as re- quired by law. to give the proprietors a written notice to make the necessary i'm provements, and in most instances the warnings brought about the desired re- suits. However in two instances dairies were closed out permanently by revocation of the permits and license by the City Council on recommendation of the depart ment. Several others were suspended temporarily from doing business in the city until conditions had been improved to meet a reasonable requirement.
 It was necessary to give legal notice to several dairymen whose dairies were To- cated out a considerable distance from the city, but in most instances these were comparatively small dairies, selling only butter milk and butter while by dtligent efforts on the part of the department the proprietors of these places were finally convinced that 1t would be necessary to mantain sanitary conditions or be closed out by the department, and the improve ments asked for have been made.
 It is believed that in future we will have less trouble of this kind from dairies re- motely situated as the proprietors under stand that they are expected to keep their places reasonably sanitary.
 Many improvements have been and are now being made in lighting, flooring and ventilating dairy barns and better drain age is being provided for dairy premises A large number of new, and in some in- stances very expensive and substantial, dairy barns have been constructed Some of those built are first class and up-to- date In each instance the new build- ings are a decided improvement over the buildings previously occupied In ad- dition to the barns built quite number of better and more satisfactory milk houses have been constructed, and the same screened to keep out the flies during the warm seasons.
 The department feels no hesitancy in saying that in no year since the inspec- tion has been established has there been such a general improvement in the con struction and equipment of dairy build ings. However. it is not claimed that the dairies have reached that stage of ex- improvements are desired for it is expected that i'm provements shall continue from time to time until conditions of dairies supplying milk to this market shall compare favor ably with those of any city the size of Birmingham, even in the north.
 During the year quite a number of dairies were forced to select and move to better and more satisfactory locations, but the department could not, in a single al along this line. There are still several dairies unfavorably situated, and especial ly so during the winter months, owing to poor drainage and limited quarters for the dairy cattle We feel sure that the city authorities are able to understand and appreciate the fact that changes of this kind cannot be made in a single day. but that 1t necessarily takes considerable time But since a great deal has been ac- complished along this particular line dur Ing the past year it is reasonable to ex- pect a continuation of this general i'm provement in moving to locations where better drainage can be had and where dairy animals can have access to better pasturage and a more wholesome water supply.
 The following instance is one of those extreme cases not often, but sometimes. encountered by the inspectors of the department, and is here given merely to Illustrate the possible harm that might follow if such conditions were not discovered and remeded. The con trast of the conditions existing when first discovered and the conditions when dairyman was finally allowed to resume business, was very striking; A certain dairyman in moving his dairy from its former location had failed to get permit for changes, and on be- ing discovered at the new location the dairy and its premises were found in very unsanitary condition. One corner of the dairy barn, also used as a feed room, was being used as a milk house for the storage of the dairy products and the milk was thereby exposed to serious contamination, for in close proximity was located a pig pen and a dry closet, from which the milk might easily have become infected. Especial ly would there have been grave danger in the event there had been a case of typhoid near by for an epidemic among the customers supplied with milk from this dairy might have resulted from this negligence. Such carelessness and gross negligence as this is inexcusable and a person found guilty should be prohibited from further engaging in the sale of milk Immediately upon the detection of this condition the proprie- tor of this dairy was prohibited from the further sale of his dairy products fin this city until he had made improve ments and conditions made satisfactory to the department. Consisting of thorough cleaning and the whitewash- ing of the dairy barn. the free use of lime around the premises, the removal of the pig pen and the closet, and pro- viding of neat and sanitary milk ho. .rir7 x1rir