The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-11-14
TUBERCUL|N TESTED
MILK IS PROMISED
Ordinance Committee Orders
Drastic Measure to Regu-
late Milk Sale.
TO EXAMINE HERDS
High Death Rate Among
Children Traced to Milk
By Davis.
TO EXAMINE HERDS

Two ordinances which govern the
sale of milk in the city will be COM
bined and sections added provided
that only milk from tuberculin tested
cattle shall be offered to consumers,
and that such tests shall be made at
least once a year, according to in
structions given City Attorney Bond
by the ordinance committee, after dis
cussing the milk situation with City
Health Officer Davis last night.
When the measure has been
framed, the committee, which is COM
posed of Frank L. Waidele, chairman,
Elmer E. King, and Alphonse Weis-
haupt, will call meeting of the
dairymen and veterinarians. City At
torney Bond will present the tenta-
tive ordinance to them, and ask for
their opinions. What they say will be
considered before the measure is pre-
sented to council for its action.
The two ordinances which Mr..
Bond was instructed to incorporate in
one, control the sale of milk and de-
fine the duties of dairy insp pector. DR..
Davis asked that the measure be
milk from tuberculin tested cattle be
sold.
Provisions of Measure.
The ordinance will specify that in
addition to testing the entire herd
once year, no COW shall be admitted
to the herd at any other time without
first being tested. Only the tubercu-
lin furnished by the United States
may be used in the tests. All such
tests are to be made by a state Off
cial or a deputy which he shall ap-
point. The measure will be explicit
in saying that no other person who
may be in any way interested in the
herd, shall have anything to do with
the tests.
Placing milk in bottles that have
not been returned to the dairy and
thoroughly sterilized will be made
punishable by fine. After the ordi
nance becomes effective, all dairy
mems licenses will be issued by the
city controller and not by the dairy
inspector.
Either bottled or dipped milk may
be offeredFto consumers provided the
required care is taken in its prepara
ton and handling. Dairymen buying
and distributing milk from other herds
than their own, will be required to
show that it comes from tuberculin
tested cattle.
Refers To Death Rate.
In presenting his ideas to the COM
mittee, DR.. Davis said people did not
look the milk question SQuarely in the
face, but either made too much or too
little of its dangers. He said Rich
mond was in the zone of the country
in which the death rate from tubercu-
losis is the highest, the disease being
the cause of one out of every seven
deaths. OF the children who die under
five years of .age, he said, only five
per cent died of tuberculosis con-
tracted from milk.
But this is larger percentage than
should be, he said, and precautions
should be taken to stop even these
few deaths.
He prophesied that dairymen would
complain of the expense attached to
making the tuberculin tests and the
wedding out of herds which would
follow.
TubercuIin Is Free.
Tuberculin supplied by the govern
ment is free, he said, and when state
officers or deputies made the tests.
it would be without expense to the
dairymen.
Cattle shown to have the disease
need not be killed, thus becoming a
total loss. he said. They may be fat
tened and killed or used for breeding
purposes, provided the young calves
are not allowed to use their mothers
milk
The health officer pointed out that
in many cases bottles which were col
lected from homes were refilled by
the dairymen while on their routes
and left at other houses. This is
dangerous way of spreading disease.
Proper methods of sterilization will
be defined in the proposed ordinance.