The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-02-22
PURE
NE r UBLEC TEA 71H7
81
4 By CIV WADDELt, M D., Health Officer.
IS

studied BY Dr.. Michael Taylor. Ten
years later the same authority showed
that scarlet fever could be transmit
ted In the same way. In 1877 al ep
idemic Of diphtheria WIS traced 10
milk supply. In 1881 there and SINH
lar cases were reported to the Inter.
national Medical Congress. Since that
time the subject has occupied the time
OF many psychologists in this coun'
try and abroad.
Since that time there have been re-
ported upward Of 500 epidemics Of y
phold fever traceable to the milk sup
lply. The number Of cases In these
epidemlcs varied from 3 to 800. The
number Of cases must therefore have
been numbered by thousands.
Busey and Knober have summarized
"A mses OF scarlet fever sprea..
through the agency Of milk; and Is
epiden,ics OF diphtherla traceable to 4
similar agency.
That tuberculosis may be trans
m!ttel from infected cows through
the agency Of milk is accepted as a
fact though it may never have been
proved. The question whether bovine
tuberculosis, that is tuberculosis OF
cattle, Is transmlsslble to nan Is still
! unsettled. BY some 1t Is claimed tia!
tho germ which produces tuberculosis
in cattle, which at autopsy, show the
same signs Of disease as do humans
who die OF Tuberculosis, will not pro.
duce the disease in man. For obv lors
reasons no experimental work has
been done to prove this fact Because
also, the iiesase Is 50 insilious It Is
never possible to say positively what
tho source of infection was. But be-
cause the matter is still unsettled. II
for no other reasons, 1t Is olr duty to
be on the sare side and protect orr
selves from even the possibility OF so
deadly 4 disease. which It Is only fair
to assume may be contracted In this
way. II we posttlvel! knew that thee
was no danger OF contracting tube ~
losis through the milk Of a COW sick
with the disease and we do not know
this, none OF us would be willing for
aesthetic reasons, to consume The
milk Of a diseased animal. The fact
that one Of the herds from which the
milk supply of this city has been oh
tained YVES recently found to be infect
ed with tuberculosis. and rs a result
one sixt hof the total number Of the
herd WIS condemned and killed,
speaks for ITSELF There Is no reason
to suppose that this herd was in worse
condition than the rest Of the cattle
from which IL produced tie milk sup.
ply Of the city. Suspicion was called
to this herd by mere accident.
It Is a recognized fact that the great
mortality among infants In the first
two years Of life Is due largely 10
faulty feeding. The substantial part
Of m Infants food Is always milk.
When this Is not the mothers milk
there are lnnumerable opportunities
for danger. The greatest danger, un.
doubtedly lies In the fact that t:,c
milk has been subject to 50 much
contamination. Old milk, full Of germs
or milk to which has been added pre-
servatires Is absolutely unfit for the
stomach o fan Infant. Acting as IN
lrrltant to the very delicate mucous
n,embrance Of the infants stolhach
and inteetines Is prepares the way for
the most serious disturbances Of llges
ton which ultimately cause death In
50 many cases. the ordinary dairy
milk contains so much dirt and so
many germs that We would not con.
su1ne 1t ourselves II We knew VIVA. +,
contained, let alone feed It TO q dell
cato child. Therein lies the danger In
milk which Is produced under unsani
tary coalitions. The same truths ap
ply to milk which Is Intended for III
vnllds. Much Of the milk sold n al!
cities contain sediment which under
the microscope Is found to be chiefly
manure and other refuse from the
stable. We cannot think Of anything
that would appeal less to the ordinary
taste than stable manure, nor Is there