Evening journal., 1919-01-22
SEES NEED CT KO2E
MILK INSPECTORS
Mrs. E. P. du Pont Tells
Century Club One Off
cial Isn't Enough
SAYS CITY TESTS
ARE UNSATISF ACTORY


At the meeting Of the Current Events
class of the New Century Club held yes
terday Mrs. E. Paul dupont gave a talk
regarding the system of milk lnspec-
tion in this city. She said that one milk
inspector as now provided for by law,
should not inspect all the milk brought
into Wilmington and she believes sew
ersl inspectors should be provided to
make daily inspection throughout the
city in order TO insure a better grade
OF milk for babies and consumers gen.
orally.
According TO Mrs. dupont bad milk
is responsible for more babies dying
than any other cause Of death among
infants. She said. the tests in VIII
mington are unsatisfactory. because the
one inspector is overworked, and is un-
able TO make rigid tests OF milk from
a sufficiently large number Of dairy
men. In the course OF her speech Mrs.
dupont said:
ut Is interesting 10 stud ythe milk
industry, not only with reference TO its
production, methods OF handling and
distribution, but especially its effect
upon the welfare OF us all. It's litera-
ture is full Of laws. rules and regula-
tions relative TO the production Of pure
milks. and much space Is also given 10
the question OF analysis. The relation
Of milk TO the public health, together
with questions Of nutrition, disease, and
epidemics are broadly discussed, and II
we do not admit the facts and take
some action TO improve conditions, Is
Is because we will not see, and not be-
cause the light is not before us.
Impure milk is responsible for more
dead babies than any other single fac
tor. Il also contributes heavily in the
propagation OF typhoid, scarlet fever,
diphtheria and tuberculosis.
1.-THE United States standard requires
that milk should contain $40 per cent
butter Fat. Tests made in the month
Of September last, Of milk on sale in
this town, which was obtained from
eight Of the large dairies, showed a MIN
imum OF 1 2-i0 per cent, five under 2
per cent and one Of 2-i0 per cent.
These figures are not very impressive
when casually read, but let us consider
the effect they will have on infant feed
ing.
"In Hygiene Of the Nursery by
Starr, we find on page ia a formula
for feeding a six-mOnths-old baby. The
effect Of assuming that milk used in
this formula contains $40 per cent
butter fat, when It actually contains
but 2-i0 per cent, as shown by one
Of the above tests. will be that we feed
the child q mixture containing per
cent fat when we are modifying the
milk TO attain an actual percentage Of
2 i-i0 per cent. In other words, we
are under-feeding about 40 per cent.
IF the cream does not come UP TO
the i6 per cent standard, or II the for
mula Is a special one containing less
cream, or even one OF DR.. Starr's for
mulae for an older child, we may feed
the child a diet containing topper cent
starvation. We starve our babies into
ricketts,, bow legs, poor vision. weak
teeth, and too many other things TO
enumerate, while diluting milk for
their bottles which is already too poor
70 be dlgestedC
I'VE blindly accept nursery milk I'M
der the impression that IL is per cent
fat. as guaranteed by many Of our
dealers, and we never bother TO ques-
ilon their guarantee II we want strong
matter, 10 behooves us TO regulate the
production OF our milk, its Transports
ton and its subsequent handling.
II have met with a general atmos-
phere Of spare the poor milk dealer
but it seems TO me that II we had
courage 20 let our brothers and SONS
and husbands go abroad TO fight th9
Germans because they destroyed the
Belgian babies, we ought TO have very
little pity on the men who destroy
our own babies.
TOO much consideration has been
given to the effect that such regula-
tion. II enforced. might have on the
commercial interests Of those engaged
in the milk business.
1--WE have a pretty fair city and State
ordinance and a good Federal law, but
they are not enforced, and instead Of
insisting on the observation Of what
we have. most people seem TO feel that
a new and broader law will FIX IT.
ITO permit milk to be sold under
existing conditions makes US all con-
tributors TO the mortality In this COM
muinity. There Is practically no inspec-
ton Of the farms or the conditions OF
transportation or Of the collecting and
delivering wagons-the bottllng or pas
turizing or the milk shops, restaurants
and hotels. We have only one inspect
or; he Is apparently interested and anx-
ious to do his work WELL but there are
twenty-five thousand quarts OF milk
coming In daily and he has three hun
dred and seventy-two places to Inspect.
These are % restaurants, i06 vehicles
selling milk. is5 stores, i9 milk houses
and 4 saloons. He is supposed to make
an inspection weekly, or oftener II nee
essary, but it takes one man i've weeks
20 % the rnnnds and at that he has