Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-09-13

appointed health commissioner
when his predecessor retired.
| II
| As health commissioner his
first fight was against the poll
teal connivers who kept Chi
cago's milk deadly with bovine
tuberculosis. This plague had
infected the glands rotted the
bones, bent the spines of thou
sands Of Chicago's children. in
Chicagoland's leading milk-pro-
ducing county 81 per cent of the
dairy cattle were tainted.
Bundesen called in U. S. Pu-
bic Health Service experts; out
of Chicagoland's 245 pasteuriz-
1ssI sul u! Sc lsnO 's.ueId 5u!
of America, though this was not
known, not one was operating
in a way that would kill TB
microbes in milk.
Now the commissioner faced
a showdown. To Illustrate U.
S. government attempts to era
dictate bovine TB by killing in
fected cattle-indeminifying own
ers-an Illinois law had been
passed that actually prohibited
health officers from TB-testing
dairy herds. Bundesen called
politicians. He explained that
pasteurization wasn't keeping TB
outof milk.
Gentlemen" he said, I
give you eighteen months to
clean up your herds. After that
not one drop of milk from an
untested COW comes into Chic
ago!"
Most of the dairymen CO.
operated, and the fantastic num-
of 100000 milk COWS were sla-
ughtered. At the same time a
group of diehard produc
and politicians got set to get
Bundesen. The day before the
deadline, when no more milk
from an INFESTED COW could come
into Chicago, they let it be
known that, tomorrow, the state
anti-testing law would be invok-
ed against DR.. Herman Bund-
essen. He'd be enjoined, he'd
be in contempt, and then
ChIcago's rugged Good Sam
aritan called in the reporters.
He told them how his own little
boy was infected with bone tu-
berculosis.
I'm sick of carrying young
Russell around in my arms
while he watches other child
rem playing" Bundesen roa-
rad. That's not all its hap
pened to thousands. I'm going
to see that every drop of milk
that my own six kids and all
Chicago's children drink is safe
and rure-if l have to 60 to Jail
to do it,"
The hubbub, city-wide, was
terrific. The next day not a
drop Of milk from an INFESTED
or tuberculous COW came into
Chicago. The politicians knew
they'd make a martyr of Bund-
essen by failing him. Tha t
began its downtrend in Chicago.
Today it's a medical curiosity.
That same year every one of
the 245 pasteurizing plants was
put into really effective mi
crobe-killing operation had clean
ed streptococcus and other
deaths out of milk along with
tuberculosis. Chicago's infant
death rate took sensational
F! tumble.
In 1927 his Job was interrupt
ed for three years when Mayor
Big Bill" Thompson fired him
because Bundesen refused t o
include political literature with
information about baby care
that ne sent out to all Chicago's
mothers. The City Council i'm
medlately sent him unamim-
Gus testimonial. Indignant tel
egram's from the nations top
health authorities bombarded
Thompson. The Chicago Daily
News awarded Bundesen ST.
600 prize as Chicago's most val
liable citizen. He ran for coro-
ner of Cook County and wa
elected by a majority of more
than a millionaire most enor-
nous in the county's history
to this day. When Anton Ger
max became mayor he quickly
restored Bundesen as hea 1t h
commissioner.
Bundesen had made co VS.
milk safe for babies; but now
ne learned that among breast
fed infants the death rate was
for lower than among these not
so fed. A survey by his nurses
revealed that only one out of
five Chicago mothers breas t.
fed her baby. The reason?
Chicago's birth ists-pu b lie
documents-were daily published
IN the newspapers. Patent baby
food firms used these lists to
send their door-to-door canvass
ers to Chicago's mothers, sell
ing them on row much freedom
II they'd didn't brest-feed their
babies. Bundesen showed the
city council the figures on in
FAINT deaths, and finagled a dub
lously constitutional regulation
prohibiting publication of birth
lists.
Four firms offered Bundesen
50 cepf< nor pop,o. orl En- nno