The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-01-29
Milk Tests and the Laboratory

Rigid milk inspection and testing Of supplies to assure
purity is not a step to require defence or apology. 1t is
q duty which the health and sanitary authorities owe 10
those who place them in official position, for these
health and sanitary authorities are sentinels against the
insidious invasion of disease and epidemic.
The policy is SO general the country over, whether un-
der national, state or municipal auspices. of guarantee
ing the public in the purity and healthfulness Of its
food and drink and medicines, that individual watch
fitness and precaution have become atrophied in the
reliance people place in public inspection Of these neces-
sities.
This is a confidence that is not to be abused. Neglect
and indifference ere such abuse and amount to betrayal
Of a public trust. Besides there is a trifling with the
health and lives Of the people involved. Public safety
breaks down in its most important sector.
When, therefore, q local situation arose where the
guaranteeing of the citys milk supplies seemed beyond
the capacity of the state psychological laboratory here
longer to assure under hampering accumulation OF work,
the city commission took a natural and proper step in
coming to q new understanding with the laboratory and
proceeding to extend assistance that will speed up the
periodical tests by which the purity of the milk is de-
termined. Better still it took the step of appointing a
dairy inspector, thus assuring cleanliness even before the
milk is gathered in the milking pail. This ought to re-
duce the instances of excessive bacteria in the samples
tested. These should not exceed 100000 to the cubic
centimeter. The State Health department has come up
on instances of as high as 100000 bacteria in some OF
the local supplies. This type Of milk must be cut OIL AT
the city limits. A veterinary inspector. however, very
likely will be able to dispose of it by mere sanitation Of
those COW stables which now are not as clean as they
should be.
It might be a good idea when the policy of inspection
and testing gets under way to issue monthly official
statements of the grades of purity in the milk delivered
and sold here by the farm diaries as is done In up-to-
date cities and towns. Those supplies which do not
come ,p to quality in cleanliness should then be barred.
Under q licensing system as that which the city or
dinance provides, this sort Of dairy administration should
become automatically possible of functioning and It
should fairly guarantee the public against deleterious
and injecting types of milk.
There has been some talk of removing the state labor
atory from here. That would be treating the Slope coun-
try as though it were not a part of North Dakota. The
idea can not be denounced too freely. The rising tide
Of tests which a graph cast by Bacteriologist E. w. Eek
lund shows Of the activities of his laboratory proves the
need of the plant here. It is performing a useful and
necessary function and is q convenience the physicians
and the towns Of this section could not afford to dis
pense with under the circumstances.
There should be united protest If such a course be-
comes more than rumor and turns to intention on the
mart Of DR.. H. E. French. director Of the state laboratory
system. Rather should the laboratory be given increased
financial support by the legislature at the next session
and, in some way, the bacteriologst, at present Dr.. Eek
lund, be given needed help. One man here making 1896
tests in a given period, compared with 200l by five men
ct the university plant, is too great a margin to impose
on the local laboratory as now manned. AT least it is
no excuse or subterfuge for a~gitating or threatening the
removal of the laboratory.