The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-07-19
Barre City Council Proposes
to Make Milk Free of Tu-
berculosis Germs
BY REQUIRING TEST
OF SUPPLYING HERDS
Statistics Prove That Milk
Carries Disease from
Cows to Humans


mary steps last night toward cleaning
up" the milk supply of the city of Bar5
TO use the expression of the councip' 8
Dr. f. H. Bancroft, local veterr/
and DIR. L. III. Adams, federal ir1
attached to the state commits 4 Of
agriculture's office in Montper sSFing
been summoned in on REQ .Sf the
council. The need for erae ~. of tu-
berculosis germs from Z AS'6 supply
was was considered SO urge ~ after the
discussion, a motion ~ FRIED unani-
mously that Mayor on appoint a
committee of three to investigate the
milk situation thoroughly and report
Mayor Glysson Immediately appointed
Aldermen Mcmillan, Scott and Keefe as
such committee, they to consider also
the framing of city ordinance covering
compulsory test of all herds supplying
milk for the city trade.
1t was explained that such inspection
by the federal Inspector would be CON
Quoted without expense to the farmers
and that in case of cows being con
demned as tuberculous the state would
pay rs per cent of the value of the grade
cattle, with the maximum payment at
S75.
Various statistics were presented to
show that tuberculosis is communicated
from animals to human beings, gov
ernment bulletin backing up the statis-
tics as follows; 1T is now universally
admitted that tuberculosis is a conta-
gious disease and may be transmitted
from animal to man" These statistics
show that out Of l,5ll cases Of human
/ tuberculosis the disease was contracted
as follows: Adults l6 years and over
940 tuberculosis of the human type and
10 OF bovine origin; children between
5 and Is years, l3l of the human type
and 46 of the bovine type; children un-
der ) years of age, 292 of the human
type and rs of the bovine type. Also in
80 cases of tubercuIar cervical adenitis
in children under 5 years, Is were of the
human type and "a of the bovine type;
and in IA cases Of abdominal tubercuIo-
sis in children under ) years. were of
the human type and 10 of the bovine
type"
These statistics were considered con-
elusive evidence that q great deal of the
tuberculosis in human beings is contract
ed from animals, chiefly to young chill
| dren, and the belief was borne out bvs
the following statement from a govern
ment report: Milk is the staple food of
infants and young children and is usual
| ly taken in the raw state II this milk
is from a tuberculous COW, it may con
tain millions of living tubercule germs.
Young children fed on such milk often
| contract the disease, and it is frequent
| cause of death among them"
Another statement from the National
Association for the Study and Proven
tion of tuberculosis was also quoted as
showing that much of the tuberculosis
now comes from cows. This statement
says: "The germ may also be taken into
the body in uncooked cows milk Cows
frequently have tuberculosis and the
germ may get into the milk, sometimes
in large numbers While in grown peo-
pie this is not common source of in
fection, it is common source in little
children who drink much uneooked cows
milk. The germs are carried by the milk
into the bowels through whose walls
they pass and enter the system through
the lymphaties lodging usually in the
glands around the roots of the lung, or
in those attached to the intestines.
Therefore, unless one is certain that the
COW which supplies the milk is free from
tuberculosis (which can be told by test
that good veterinary doctor can easily
makel, TIE only safe thing is to pasteur-
ize or boil all milk which is used by the
children of the household
These facts and reports which have
come to the ears of the members of the
Barre city council confirmed them in the
belief that Barre should take the steps
to "clean up" the milk supply; and DR..
Adams stated that if the work was done
as outlined Barre would be the first place
in Vermont to adopt such course.
DR.. Adams stated, and he was backed
up by DR. Bancroft, that it does no good
to eradicate tuberculosis from a herd
and then put another herd back into the
same quarters without thoroughly dis
injecting the stable II has been found
that "cean" herds have soon become
tainted with tuberculosis after being put
back in stable in which no efforts were
made at disinfection.
It is expected that the committee of
the city council viii make report in a
short time relative to the framing of
new ordinance requiring the testing of
herds, together with other provisions for
the safeguarding of Barre's milk supply.
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