Smyrna times., 1924-08-20
BABY DEATH RATE IS HIGHEST
WHERE DIRTY MILK IS SOLD
NEW CASTLE COUNTY HAS THE
LEAST DEATH-KENT THE MOST
State Board of Health, Thru Local
Boards, Will Take Action Look
ing to Cleaner Milk Supply

Conclusive proof that dirty milk
or unclean conditions about a dairy
are conducive to high mortality
among infants is borne out by
statement made by DR.. A. 7. Davis,
executive secretary of the State
Health and Welfare Commission COW
ering the results obtained by the
tests recently made by the American
Child Health Association. This ma
tional organization sent a moving
laboratory to Delaware and tested the
milk of all dairies in the state ex-
cept those in Wilmington. There were
lat dairies in the rural section tested
and after these tests had been made
the data was averaged according to
the regulations of the State Health
and Welfare Commission. The result
of this scoring shows that New Cas-
tie county ranks highest in the state
for cleanliness among dairymen with
Sussex county, second, and Kent
county, third.
Kent County Has the Most Deaths
The death rate among babies for
Delaware shows New Castle county
to have the least with Sussex, sec
ond, and Kent county, third, thus
bearing out the statements that have
been made many times, that unclean
milk often times leads to fatal i'll
ness among infants. 1t is one of the
strongest appeals, too, for the estab-
lishment of the county health board
system, that DR.. Davis has placed be-
fore the Levy Court Commissioners
of each of the three counties. Ac-
cOrding to the scoring done by state
officials of the Health and Welfare
| department the town of Odessa stands
highest in rating with 50 per cent.
There was but one dairy examined in
that town, and this was a pretty clean
one, so that the score for Odessa
looms up highest. Had there been
three dairies in the town and one of
them had been dirty, Odessa might
be near the middle instead of the top
of the list. The standing for the
county of New Castle is higher that
the others, because Newark, Della
ware City, and Middletown were
among the first nine highest towns in
the standing and there are eighteen
dairies in these three towns. Accord
ing to DR.. Davis the standard under
the state regulations is 100 per cent,
but considering the fact that the sta
tutes governing pure, clean milk have
never been enforced, the rating shown
by some of the dairies is commend
able.
To Notify Local Health Boards
The next step in providing cleaner
milk will be taken by the State
Health and Welfare Commission
which will notify all local boards OF
health, calling the attention of these
bodies to the fact that dairies in theil
districts are not complying with state
regulations. Wherever there is showT
a disposition by these health bodies
and dairies to remedy conditions the
matter will be left with them to at
tend to, but if no disposition or at
tempt is made to make things better
then the commission will attend tC
the business. In the scoring of the
. lat dairies where tests were made
this summer, the health officials Of
the state have taken into considera.
tion temperature, bacteria, fecal con
tamination and tuberculosis.
Smyrna Stands oath In Record
The score for the entire state, out
side of Wilmington, follows, ClaytOT
stands 11th and Smyrna oath: