South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-07
DIR. BosENBURYs COMEBACK

DR. Charles S. Bosenbury, city
health officer. appearing in our Let
tiers of the people" column today, in
defense OF his milk pasteurization Or
dinance pending before the council,
seems inclined TO question the au-
thenticity OF our criticism Of his pro-
gram. We wonder If he would talk
that way 20 Prof II. c. Sherman, Phi.
D.. Columbia university, il addressing
him personally. We are half inclined
10 believe that Prof. Sherman is quite
as well qualified 70 discuss bacteria
and milk pasteurization as any OF the
infOrmants that have served 10 in
spire DR.. Bosenbury. The public is
welcome to the health officers side
of the controversy. We believe. how
ever. that in relying upon Prof Sher-
man for our advice. we are quite as
well grounded. even in the pronunci-
alton of synonyms, as we would be if
we were merely being saturated with
buncome brewed at the city hall
And yet, perhaps, we should ex-
plain our reference to the similarity
between sterilization and pasteuriza-
ton more fully. Pasteurization is a
bluff at sterilization invented by the
manufacturing plants for the purpose
OF creating q more general demand
for their output. and it is in the bluff
that the danger of the operation comes
in. The milk, as we stated yesterday.
is just sufficiently sterile to dispose Of
the active bacteria, while the latent
bacteria is merely developed that
much nearer the active point by the
hatchery II the milk and cream is
kept at so degrees Fahrenheit-cool-
ed to that point or below, and not per-
mitted to rise above it,-pasteuriza-
ton is unnecessary; perhaps, we ought
TO say, however, SIS degrees.
That is the trouble with the milk
supply in South Bend; a lack of clean
illness in tho farm-yards, and failure
Of the milk-men to keep the milk
cool-likewise the housewife. But If
it must be kept cool, you might as
we'll begin on raw milk as wait until
after it is boiled. Maybe it is true
that we have no distinctly certified
milk: only a small supply that meas
ures up to it's equivalent. but in that
case let US have more of the equiva-
lent.
Incident 10 which, we wish to cor
rect the doctor in this, that our pre-
vious comment did not say that lit is
only in pasteurized milk and not in
raw milk that bacteria attack the pro-
teids. ETC." but what we did say was
that "in raw milk these products are
rarely formed" which is to say that
pasteurization makes it more proba-
bic. We think. indeed, that there is a
sufficient scientific indictment against
the process. to Justify the common
council in rejecting the program. We
are weak and puny enough as race,
through following the trail of the
medicine man. the doctors of materia
medica, constantly prescribing some
thing new in the subsection of ma
ture. We have about as much power
of resistance left as a mouse would
have II assailed by an elephant. We
have babied and pampered ourselves
weii-nigh out OF our birthright and
what we have gotten in return is a
mess OF pottage-pottage made up
largely OF receipted doctors bills.
We are not craving the day when we
will discard our bodies. wearing only
our heads. and carrying our meals in
tablet form in our pockets.