El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-13

/ committee known as the New York
I milk committee. 1t was organized BY
| the association for the Improvement OF
! the Condition of the Poor, and started
| out mainly to improve the character
Of the milk fed to babies of the me-
| tropolis- Immediately after taking up
| its work, the committee found that a
larger and more far reaching problem
confronted it; that of improving the
nations supply of milk. The work it
has accomplished in that direction con-
stitutes one OF the most inspiring
| achievements in sanitary progress the
country has witnessed
The first step taken by the milk COM
mittee was to demonstrate the value
of supplying wholesome milk and ed
ucaUOn in the care of babies to moth
erS through milk stations. To this
end il organized the Committee for the
reduction OF infant mortality, for the
purpose of uniting all the babies well
fare activities in New York city.
Through its efforts the $50 agencies
dealing with babies interests in New
York were given a clearing house for
their labors. and a half million pieces
Of educational literature a year are
now being distributed to tenement
mothers out OF 1850 babies born
alive and assisted through the first
doctors of the committee, only 81 died,
which is less than One-third as many
as died in the homes of the unassisted.
Carries Campaign to the Farm
As soon as the work of demonstrate
ing the possibilities of a proper baby
saving campaign was well on its feet
the milk committee took up another
line of endeaVOr. 1t had already proved
the value of a proper milk supply, and
now it wanted to prove that such a
milk supply was possible. To this
end it decided to show the farmer how
ne could produce good milk at little or
no increase IN cost So the Dairy Dem
onStrauon company was organized. A
dairy at Homer, New York, was pur-
chased and rehabilitated for handling
the milk supplied by the farmers of
that vicinity. They were paid a half
cent more q quart for milk from tu-
berculin tested cows fourth of
cent more for milk having a low num-
Der of bacteria TO the drop and
fourth of a cent more for milk rich in
butter fat The farmers were assured
that good methods were more import
ant than high priced equipment. All
pals and cans were sterilized at the
dairy for the farmers, and all they had
to do was to put the milk into them
and bring it TO the dairy. The result
was that IS farmers were converted
from skeptics into enthusiastic sup
porters of the clean milk crusade.
Standard of Milk Fixed.
Having proved the possibilities of
clean milk in the care of babies and
the ease with which the cooperation of
farmers in producing clean milk may
be enlisted, the next step was to create
a commission made up of the best au-
thorities on milk in the United States
whose duty it would be to fix stand
ard of milk for such states and mu-
as might see fit to accept
It This commission was organized in
1911, and has had five meetings. In
making up its membership the names
OF over 200 men of prominence in
medicine, sanitation, public health and ]
laboratory work. especially those hav-
ing nation>< reputation in milk mat |
ters were considered Among the II |
commissioners finally secured to serve I
are: DR.. W. A. Evans. professor of 7
preventive medicine in Northwestern /
university; Dr. John F. Anderson, di- /
rector hygienic laboratory, United /
States public health service; DR.. A D /
MelyiS chief United States bureau Of 4
animal industry and DR.. John S Full 1
ION, secretary of the international con- 4
5reSs of hygiene and demOgraphy.
Divided Into Three Grades.
The milk produced in this country l
or market purposes is divided into |
three grades by the commission. Grade
"A" from cows free from disease as Il
physical examinations made by quail 4
led veterinarians, handled by persons
rec from disease as determined by a J
qualified physician, and produced IN
Ter sanitary conditions such that the
bacterial count shall not exceed 200,-
100 to the cubic ceutimeter. If pasteur-
zed, the tuberculin test and medical !
may be omitted. Grade b"
milk, raw. must come from healthy
'oWs. and must not contain more than /
100000 bacteria to the cubic cent?
meter Grade CO. milk includes all
hat has more than 1000. 900 bacteria ]
@ the cubic centimeter. and is to be /
lsed only for cooking purposes.
Fasteurlzed milk must be heated to
ninimum temperature of 40 degrees,
anrenhelt, for at least 20 minutes, and ]
he commission recommends that auto !
matte recording instruments should be [
equ1red for making record sheets for
hat all milk shall be dated so that
he consumer may know the day it left
he cows udder.
Is Check on Presence of Dirt.
The bacterial count method of stand
rdiZing milk is used because it furn-
shes good check on the presence Of !
lrt under refrigeration, and age It I
as not been found, however, that this
determines the danger of milk in every
To illustrate: Here is a
All OF milk that shows 1000, 900 bac- |
er1a to the cubic centimeter, and here |
5 another that shows only 10000. But !
he former may be only the result of
areleSS handling while the latter NAV I
cnslst largely of typhoid germs aris- !
nS from the use Of water containing |
hese germs Tor washing milk contain
y
nd pasteuriZation are the best meth
ds Of protection against human con- |
agiOn in milk.
Few people realize the Importance ~
wholesome milk supply. One-sixfb |
t all the food the average man eats is |
nix or its derivatives Nothing that /
asses his lips is so susceptible to con-
agiOn and dirt as the milk he usee
he contagion usually comes from the |
uman intestinal tract, while the dirt !
made up mainly of tiny particles !
he milk supply is merely a bv pro-
uct and the problem of getting good
nix IS largely one of paying more for
,ean milk than for unclean milk The
fort of the milk commission has baen
, frame regulations that will not drive
ne small milk seller out of business
VI which Will nevertheless. teach
I'm to regard the welfare of the neo-
le IN the city to whom his milk goes
Is realized that all this means most
all campaign of education.