The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-06-15

was read at the Association of State
and National Dairy and Food Depart
ments at the meeting at Mackinac,
Mich, by e. Fl. Webster, then chief of
the dairy division of the Department
of Agriculture:
The purpose of milk inspection is to
protect the public against impure
milk. There are four general sources
of impure milk which come under the
observation of the inspector, namely,
milk from diseased animals, milk ham
died by attendants affected by COM
municable diseases, the milking and
handling of milk in unsanitary sur
roundings, and without proper means
of handling and distribution.
In order to detect these various de-
fects found in the milk on the market
four general classes of inspection are
necessary: Veterinary, medical, san
itary and laboratory.
Veterinary inspection covers the
health of the animals; it may or may
not include the use of the tuberculin
test but should in all cases exclude
all animals from the herd affected
with any disease that may be detected
on a physical examination. The best
interests of the consumer will be at
tanned when the tuberculin test is ap-
piled to all herds of dairy cattle fur
nishing milk for market purposes.
This, however, is a question that will
need much agitation and much edu-
cation on the part of the producer
and consumer before any rigid laws
or ordinances can be effectively car
ried out with this purpose in view.
Medical Examination: Inspection
should be made where necessary of
the family and attendants handling
milk up to the time it is delivered to
the consumer. The report of health
officers by psyaicians, where cOnta-
gious or infectious diseases prevail
should be made part of the records of
the inspection service, and the milk
from these places should be cut off
until a clean health certificate is fur
nished by Tie attending hpysician.
Sanitary inspection includes care
full review of the cleanliness of the
barns. the dairy houses the animals
of all utensils and methods of proceed
ure, and is perhaps of greatest impor-
lance when compared with the other
inspections made. 1t should go with
out saying that troubles found through
veterinary and medical inspection
should at once cause the milk supply
to be cut off from the general market
The question of sanitation is one of
degree to a large extent. The rigid
ity with which regulations in regard
to sanitation must be enforced will de-
pend largely upon the ideals and wis
dom of the authorities and the amount
of educational work which has been
done among the producers of milk.
fragrant cases should, of course, be
cut off from general supply There
are large number of men producing
milk who fail in various ways to COM
ply with strict sanitary ideas and yet
lneir milk is of sufficient high quality
to be admitted.
Laboratory inspection should cover
the chemical and meteorological anal
yses of samples taken either at the
farm or in the city from distributing
plants or from wagons engaged in the
process of distribution. Such inspec-
ton is an index and check on the
work of the other inspectors engaged
in this service. Tt is mistake to de-
pend too much upon the bacteriologi-
cal count as to the general condition
of the milk supply. There are so
so many complicating conditions that
enter that at best the archaeological
count serves only as an index or warn
ing that milk having such high counts
may be dangerous and that there must
be closer inspection of the premises
and methods of distribution in such
cases.
The methods of inspection are: 1st