The Washington herald., 1910-01-16

have the normal death rate Of 10 per cent.
But in only one instance was the German
mortality rate of per cent even APP
preached, and that was as low as 7 per
cent.
since IL has become known these
studies were being made, a couple of our
| hospitals have taken steps FOR remedying
matters, but nothing short of proper pas
teurizatiou of all doubtful milk and cream
will ever accomplish a material reduc-
ton in the general death rate.
Moreover, they are urging the neces-
sity of municipal control over all pasteur-
ling plants, so that people may not be
lured into false security by the mere
word 'pasteurized when ii refers TO an
| Imperfect process, which is worse than no
| process at all.
/ The hygienic laboratory Of the United
States Marine Hospital Service collected
samples Of milk found in different locaii-
ties In Washington. and among those
samples were some from half dozen or
more prominent hospitals and asylums.
The minimum count and estimate Of bac-
terra found I'm one Of these samples was
$4,000 bacteria. The limit Of safety for
raw milk is 100000.
/ a prominent physician was shortly
afterward asked the following question
| by an investigator 'SupposiHE a typhoid
fever patient was put on milk diet and
the milk was given i'm a raw or imper-
fectly pasteuriZed state and was high i'm
a
the seriousness Of The caser The answer
was that this would be the case.
Patients I'm Danger.
! We must add to this the danger from raw milk or
Improperly IasrIrizej milk I'm other sickuesseS when
the natural resistance 20 disease IS broken down
and the fs7Uritp milk diet j. Prescribed without the
physician iuqurIuE into the character q the milk
/ the PATIENT is given. While ordinary households
guard against infection lbs home pastelrlzatlon
-calding the patients al hospitals cannot 90 this
and must trust entirely the WarChfuHes, and the
intelligence Of the nurses, physicians and hospital
authorities.
Dr. David l. Edsan Of Philadelphia who has
made an exhaustive study Of the milk problem III
hospitals Of raw milk as source OF asgrayalug
disease as follows.
1T is evident patients are not properly treated
unless this source IF danger Is set aside and lac
cites Instances where immediate reduction IN the
conditions and Of typhoid mortality iu a hospital
was brought about Uy the IdsfeunLall1u u mlk.
That the danger from Improperly PAS
teurized cream is even greater than from milk lies
ia the fact that the riah top milk. or the cream
sIaTateI from milk contains about b IU cent OF
the total bacteria. although constituting ONLY about
oue-tweutetb Of the volume OF the whole milk
Found I'm Hospitals.
Asked the names Of some Of the hospl-
tails visited. DR.. NOber said.
81 do not think it would be fair to give
names, because the hospitals I'm some
/ cases are not TO blame; but the .nyestiga-
tons were made only in local Institutions.
II now remains for Congress 10 protect
themselves and every man. woman, and
child in the District Ii is better 70 strike
at the root of the diseases than 10 build
hospitals and care for patients, anyway"
Dr. Magruder and Dr. Kober took turns
giving the history of milk inquiries. dat
ing from 1893, when the people OF Wash
ington woke up one morning and found
there were too many typhoid germs doing
business.
At first il was all blamed on the Pc
tomac, but after the filtration plant had
been put in, people kept getting sick
Just the same, 50 the doctors held a
conference and decided to look into the
milk question. They found the water
had done d good deal of harm. but the
real culPrits were discovered TO be Mary
land and Virginia cows.
Both medical men and Mr.. Berliner
agreed that Health Officer Woodward
has done much to drive away the BAG
terra, but that stringent legislation is
necessary at once. Another bad siege
OF typhoid next summer and continued
unnecessary deaths at the hospitals will
be the alternative. they said.