The Washington herald., 1912-03-16

SuCn. Before use lot any purpose
it is subjected to boiling or home
pasteurization.
| What's the matter with eur pres
ent raw or loose milk supply that it
needs pasteurizing?
| That tits pure and wholesome
product is proven by the rigid re-
Iquirements of the New York health
| board.
The fact that milk from sanitary
dairies or creameries is placed in
clean and sterilized cans which are
sealed and not opened until sale is
tcommenced in the store, and which
showed a lower bacteria count than
some of the pastcurized product.
| (see Fl. ID. chartS) proves that with
proper precautions a safe supply
may be obtained. o..
! To sum Up this phase of the ar
gument, | will cite DR.. Parke again
(see H. D. report 1902. 29S):
i Since large part of tenement
population must purchase its milk
from small dealers at low prices,
everything possible should be done
by the health boards to improve
the character of the general milk
supply of cities by enforcing proper
legal restrictions regarding its
Transportation, delivery, and sale,
sufficient improvements in this re-
spect which are entirely feasible to
secure all milk which will be whole
some after heating. The general
practice of heating milk, which has
now become the custom among the
tenement population of New York,
is undoubtedly large factor in the
lessened infant mortality during the
hot months
! That it is handled and sold in ac-
cord with the requirements of the
sanitary code is best proved by
the vigilant supervision by the
health board officials.
And this vigilance OF the health
department is supplemented at
every step and practically dupli-
Gated in the work of the sanitary
bureau of the Milk Dealers Asso-
Citations. an institution maintained
at considerable expense by the milk
dealers themselves.
That the bureau has done good
and noble work is shown by the
published statements and statistics
! of the health department, which
show that in spite of the exceed
tingly hot weather of the past few
months, local infant mortality COM
pares favorably with that of the
same period of last year, if not
better.
Special Investigations OF the
health department made during this
same hot spell also show that un-
usual care was taken BY the milk
dealers and handlers in general to
keep the product, by liberal and
constant application of ice, down to
the required sanitary temperature.
| This unusual care was particularly
characteristic OF the crowded East
Side, where Iloose" raw milk is sold
in great quantities. The health de-
partment is quoted as being entirely
satisfied with the conditions found
during this hot spell, when to hold
milk sweet and clean was a task
iOf very considerable magnitude.
! Commissioner LederlcS only plea
for pasteurizing is that there is
possibility OF raw loose milk be-
coming contaminated with patho-
genie and disease producing germs.
| We concede the possibility.
! We concede the isolated case of
| DR.. Biggs' typhoid carrier
As pointed out in the much
quoted case of the typhoid car
rier," this unfortunate man could
just as readily have infected pas
lSLl lLSu dS IdN HUN, Will dS
equally disastrous results.
If pasteurization is desired let it
be done at home, where it will be
used directly.
| The pasteurization of milk as
commercial process was first locally
begun in secret for the sole pur-
pose of preserving product which
would otherwise have become stale
and unmarketable. 1t was sold as
raw milk to the consumer.
Later, pasteurized milk became
what may be termed legitimate
product, and the board of health
officially permitted its sale under
certain restrictions.
From a technical viewpoint the
term "pasteurization" is best de-
scribed by Mr.. L. A. Rogers, bac-
teriologist, dairy division, Bureau
iof Animal Industry of the United
States Department of Agriculture,
ias follows:
"Pasteurization is term used to
designate a process by which milk
or other fIIidS are heated To destroy