The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-28
MILK DRUNK HERE
LAST YEAR TOTALS
100000 QUARTS
Two Millions Spent by Public
With the Consumption In
creased 100 Per Cent.
Control Work

Magnitude of the milk industry in
Birmingham and the scope of the
{ milk control work of the city and
county health departments Is re-
vealed in figures recently made avail
able for 1922. Approximately 17,000,-
900 quarts of milk were consumed
here last year and the public spent
approximately 100000 for it.
Physicians have declared that milk
is the most fertile food agency of
disease and have asserted that it
carries more germs than all other
forms of food combined. Seventeen
million quarts of it!
Need for control of the milk sup
ply in Birmingham was dearly dem
onstrated in 1916 and 1917 when mere
than 100 lives were taken in two
epidemics of typhoid fever. The Bir-
mingham milk code was presented
the following year, but its adoption
was delayed by court actions. until
August. 1921. Some milk control
work was started before, however,
and since 1918 the death rate for
typhoid fever has fallen from AS
per 100000 to 1875. and for COLTS
among babies from 1915 per 100, 600
to Alb. These are two of the most
conspicuously milk-borne diseases.
The Birmingham milk code is de-
clared to be one of the models in the
United States and has been copied
by many other cities. Since it's adop-
ton, many results have been OBJ
tanned.
Milk consumption has increased 100
per cent per capita. Organization Of
producers milk pool to increase the
volume of pasteurized milk from Is
per cent to more than so per cent
h a
terial content of market raw milk
has been reduced from $50, 900 per
cubic centimeter to less than $4,000
per cubic centimefer. FCr pasteurized
milk the reduction has been from
217,o00 per cubic oentimeter to less
than $4,000.
Milk Scores Monthly
Milk scores are published each
month as guide to the public. These
scores are based upon sanitary con-
dftion of dairy premises, methods en-
ployed in handling milk, and the
average bacterial and chemical cem-
position of not less than three SAM
pies collected from each distributor.
More than 40 sterflizers equipped
with four horsepower to six horse
power boilers, have been installed
Tn dairy farms. More than 90 per
cent of diaries that furnish milk to
Birmingham are rated 80 per cent or
over by the United States department
of agriculture.
Price of milk has decreased 25 per
cent in the past year. During 1922.
$4,000 miles were covered by inspec-
tors and more than 5000 scoringsi
were made. This was done after ap-.
proximately $500 milk samples had
been collected for chemical and bac-.
THEOLOGICAL analysis
- A reflection of the work of the
milk control department Is the
smoothness with which 1t is con-
duc1d. Prior to 1918, most of the
comlaints against dafries and milk
fairs were settled in the courts. Be-
TWEEN 1908. and 1912, there was an
aveage of 100 convictions year for
violtions of the milk regulations
may of which were unfair and i'm
lprstical. Inspectors then spent at
.1eat half their time IN court. In
191, 102 dairymen were convicted
an. fined total of $1,000.
Iilk control in those days was
coting birmingham. citizens approx
m&e1y cents per capita; today it
cots Is cents. 1t is considered by
dirymen and laymen, however, that
tits a good investment. At one time,
sitwas estimated that % per cent of
tile Birmingham milk supply was
aiulterated at least 10 per cent with
water. This meant that consumers
plid $4,000 a year for water that
came to them in milk bottles.
Milk Control Objects
Objects of milk control as set out
by L. C. Bulmer, chief of tho dairy