The Washington times., 1910-10-05
SHIPPERS Of MILK
MUST TEST CATTLE
Maryland and Virginia Farm
ers Hit BY Ruling of Dis
trict Health Department.
CONTINUED from First Page.l

spection Of farms would be made with
out expense TO the owner.
The farmers, however, in Maryland
viii not be reimbursed for cattle killed
after condemnation by the inspectors,
as is the case In the District. It is
understood that the same condition pre-
walls in Virginia. There an aDprOpria-
Ton was made by the last legislature
Tor that purpose, but the fund has been
expended and the killing Of infected
animals will be a dead loss.
Means Business Loss.
In their appeal for a hearing before
the Commissioners the dealers call at
tention 70 the fact they have already
requested such an audience, and say
they were promised a hearing but a
date was never set.
Unless some restriction is interposed
10 restrain the actions Of the Health
Department the dealers say, many
producers and dealers are going to be
compelled 10 quit the business, and the
citizenship Of this District viii suffer
from both financial and a health
standpoint"
In answer 10 the charge Of Corbin
Thompson, vice president Of the associa-
ton, that the department IS trailing
along twenty years in me wake OF mod
ern science DR.. Woodward today up
tuberculosis can be transmitted 10 hu-
man beings by milk.
THE latest scientific verdict on the
question is that tuberculosis can thus be
transmitted said DR. Woodward. III
the dealers will investigate the state
ments of DR.. Robert Koch. their main
standby in contentious Of this kind. they
will ind that even he, the most radical
opponent of the transmission theory,
never denied that such transmission was
possible. He merely denied that ii was
probable and minimized the likelihood Of
Infection"
DR.. Woodward said subsequent tests
have proved that there is great danger
or infection from milk, and that this is
especially the case with children
The method Of shipping milk employ
ed by Maryland and Virginia farmers
was also aSSailed by DR. Woodward.
Shipping of Milk
There has been a great hue and cry
about the alleged age Of milk brought
here from New York State" he said.
Now. that milk viii have 70 undergo
the same test as that shipped from near
by points. But I believe it will not suf-
fer by comparison with milk being ship
ped here daily by Maryland and Vir-
glnla farmers. The New York pro-
ducers know how TO ship and the farm
eIs In this vicinity don't seem TO. The
shippers of milk here seem to have no
iIea Of the proper shipping and cooling
Ct milk
DR.. Woodward displayed tables made
from samples of milk shipped yesterday
10 Union Station
one sample contains more than
S,Eh,oo0 bacteria to the cubic cent?
meter. Others ranged from 10000 10
100000 Now IN States that enforce
meteorological count law the most lib
erai limit set is 10000. Good certified
milk contains no more than 10000 So
the numbe. found I'm these shipments,
10 put II mildly, was excessive. There
Is no law In the District REGARDING the
maximum number Of bacteria in milk.
but such an abnormal count Is prima
facie evidence that the milk IS in a
stage Of decomposition or is disease in
feCted. 80
Conditions Bad.
One factor in the shortage # milk
supply, DR. Woodward said, might be
found in the large quantity Of sour milk
that arrives at Union Station as a re-
suit Of improper shipping and cooling
The highest temperature at which
milk should be shipped" DR.. Woodward
said. lis generally admitted to be 80
degrees. OF all the samples we took
yesterday, not one was below 81 degrees,
and some reached as high as p degrees.
II isn't 10 be expected that milk should
reach the dealer in 1T condition for con
sumption when il is shipped under such