The Washington herald., 1912-03-16

from or counted IN mix, ana DAG
THEOLOGICAL counts should be taken
merely as an indication of the way
in which milk has been collected or
the temperature at which it has
been held. High numbers usually
indicate unsanitary conditions, care
less handling, or Old milk. Every
effort should be made by legitimate
means to secure milk with a small
number of bacteria, but milk and
foods made from milk should not
be indiscriminately condemned be-
cause they sometimes contain bac-
terra in numbers which are startling
to those not familiar with the ma
ture OF those indispensable plants. y
Pasteurization, briefly, performs
two functions, one good and one
bad.
/. 1t destroys certain pathogenic or
disease producing germs. which
may have. crept into the raw pro-
duct. This is the good function.
1t also destroys the Tactic or sour
! ing germ. This is the bad func-
ton. For when the Tactic germ is
destroyed the milk can no longer
sour, and this gives evidence that
it is old and stale.
Pasteurized milk keeps longer
than the raw product, and this is
OF course a financial gain to the
! milk dealer.
Since paSteurizatiOn DESTROYS the
lactic germs, and prevents the milk
from souring. the dealer will never
lose any money from having can
of milk sour on his hands.
He can repasteurize his milk
of course the act is ilIegal-until
the supply is sold. While the
health department. OF course, exer-
cises its daily activities to the end
that such an illegal act shall not be
committed, the process OF re-
pasteurlzation is 50 simple. an oper-
alton, and so difficult OF scientific
detection. as to make legal convic-
tion practically impossible.
Thus the consumer will be get
ting old. stale. pasteurized milk,
which all authorities agree is a
fearful menace TO health, menace
a hundrediOld more dangerous than
is found in the consumption OF old,
stale, raw milk.
! 10 the dishonest or unScrupulOus
milk dealer, compulsory paSteuriza-
ton would be d source OF consider
able daily profit.
! Sour milk is rarely the cause of
ptomalne poisoning. As a matter
of fact it is recognized whole
! some food and sold as such in a
number of prepared Iorms.
! Authorities agree that the pres
ence OF Tactic acid bacteria in milk
prevents the growth of the putri-
! factive forms. As those Tactic germs
are destroyed by pasteurization,
putrofactive bacteria develop very
rapidly, producing poisonous bodies
; called toNius. which DR.. Noug
/ proved to be capable of producing
death in guinea pigs in from four
to five DAYS.
y mother often purchases pas
teurized milk for her baby's diet,
and finds it sweet and apparently
wholesome. When the child is
taken i'll, she is advised BY the at
tending physician to change the
milk. But she saws. The babv'S i'll
ness cannot be due to the milk; it
is labeled 'paSteurized.'
Such is the false feeling of Sc
curity which has been developed as
result OF the great amount OF
paid advertising which pasteurized
milk has received.
If all the money spent by pas
teurized milk concerns in advcrtiS-
ing their products was devoted to
the production OF pure raw milk,
it would mean cheaper milk to the
consumer, and. in addition, milk of
a far better and safer grade.
Instead of contending and tenn
IPorizing with improper pasteuriza-
ton, or pasteurization of a dirty
milk. or the improper care of pas
teurized milk, let us demand and
work for pure, clean milk.
You can get clean milk, you can
agitate for clean milk, and clean
milk needs no pasteurization.
Throughout this agitation sensa-
tionalists have charged the death or
illness of every infant throughout
the city to impure or unwholesome
raw, loose milk.
1t has been an agitation dPbdr-
cHtly instituted not TO secure the
facts bit TO driTc the dealers in
loose, rae milk ont of business.
In the cases of deaths or sick
ness due to typhoid fcVer, rdiU milk
has been almost in1dridbly dcSig-
mated as the source of infection,
5uithom thread of tangible Ell
dcucr tO b0rk mn the assertion