The Durant news., 1946-06-27
Holmes County Health Officer Asks Citizens
To Examine Milk Supply Conditions

a pleu to the people OF HoImea
county to take odvontoge of things
science and proctics have dem
onstroted to be good to preserve
hsolth ond prevent sickness.
| There are so many things covered
by the above statement one would
not hope to discuss all Of them in
this brief article.
| Since milk is one Of the principal
foods especially for children, let us
discuss milk. 1t is no trouble for a
person trained in diagnosing the
nutritional condition of a child to
point out those who drink milk from
those who do not. So long and so
thoroughly has this fact been estab-
lished that in some countries the
milk COW is considered sacred and
the people worship her.
Then since milk is such an essen
tial food, especially for children, the
hope of the country and the idol of
our hearts, why then should we fail
to do everything possible to make
it the safest food.
Most good things have potential
bad aspects as well. Take morphine
for instance, most wonderful drug
for the relief of suffering if used
properly, but look at the dreadful
consequences of improper use. Milk
is one of the best culture media for
disease germs. Then, if milk is not
produced from cows known to be
healthy and handled by people
known to be healthy and handled
in a way to prevent contamination,
there is no way of knowing how
much sickness, such as bowel
trouble "strep throat" and even
deaths in children are caused by
contaminated milk. One of the main
causes of heightened average life ex-
pectancy is better health and fewer
deaths among, babies and children.
This is the result of better SANTA
ton. Why should rural children
have more sickness and higher
death rate than urban children? The
answer is sanitation.
Crude A DoirY
After many years of study and re-
search the United States Public
Health authorities have designed
what they are pleased to call a
Grade A Dairy. To describe in de-
tail one of the Grade A dairies does
not come within the scope of this
paper, except to say first; the build
ing must be so constructed and sup
piled with conveniences for keeping
| it absolutely clean--second; the
cows must be tested regularly to
guarantee against them having any
communicable diseases-third; those
handling the milk must be examined
and found to be free of all COM
municable diseases.
If there is any question in your
mind as to whether milk produced
in a Grade A dairy is cleaner and
better than milk produced in COW
lot or a COW barn or mule stable
with the conveniences usually found
in these places. just do this one
little experiment: Get " pt. milk
produced in a Grade A dairy, an
other " pit. of that produced in a
cow barn, filter them in separate
filters and look at your residue. You
may say, "Oh, this only a little
clean dirt and little clean dirt
won't hurt any one" Well, I am not
so sure that is just a little clean
dirt. find our dairymen to be fine
liberal cooperative gentlemen with
the interest of their consumers as
well as their business at heart.
They would be glad to qualify for
a Grade A dairy. 1t would be some
thing they would be proud OF If
public opinion would back them up
to the extent of giving them the pro-
lection they would justly deserve.
We can't expect our dairymen to 60
to all the expense and trouble to
equip Grade A dairy with healthy
cows and healthy milk handlers II
he must continue to compete with
those who 60 to no trouble and ex-
pense to assure us safe milk sup
ply. Now, this dumps the whole
question into the laps of those who
are responsible in assuring us our
safe milk supply.
The only means OF guaranteeing
the safety of milk sold in Lexington
homes, groceries, and drug stores is
for the Mayor and Board OF Alder
men to pass an ordinance prohibit-
ing the sale of any milk other than
Grade A raw or GradeA paSteur-
lied. This can be done with little
trouble. 1t will protect the dairyman
who wants to improve his herd and
render the best possible service to
his customers and the community.
1t will insure a safe milk supply and
protect the health of every person
in the community who drinks milk.
We are all interested in getting
industries to come to Holmes county
not industries that will flood our
county with riff-raff, but high class
capital with families as we'll as
money. One of the first things in
dustrialists investigate when con-
sidering a new location is health and
health possibilities. Those people