DAIRY^ SEED IMPROVEMENT, STOCK BREEDERS' MEETINGS. \QfJ 



that souring of milk shall be a danger signal. But experience 

 has shown that, not infrequently, if milk is produced under in- 

 sanitary conditions and not properly protected against the action 

 of putrefactive bacteria, very grave putrefying processes may 

 at least be begun before the milk becomes so sour as to attract 

 notice. Translated into practical terms this means that, when 

 such milk is fed to young infants, the flavor and taste may 

 appear all right but yet the milk be changed for the worse to a 

 sufficient extent to induce very serious infantile intestinal dis- 

 orders. 



Another reason why milk is a serious public health problem 

 is because milk is almost unique among foods in being an ex- 

 cellent culture media for bacteria in the same form in which 

 it is usually consumed. 



Still another reason — and one that is often overlooked — 

 why milk is a public health problem is that milk is not trans- 

 parent, hence, by the sense of sight it is practically impossible 

 for one to realize how dirty milk may be without producing 

 any visible manifestations. If milk were as transparent as 

 water the overwhelming force of public opinion would have 

 settled the question of gross manure pollution, etc., years be- 

 fore the sanitarian came upon the field to point out the serious 

 menace to public health from simply dirty milk. 



And, lastly, the production and handling of milk is a serious 

 public health problem because milk is the hardest of all foods 

 to obtain, transport and deliver in a clean, fresh and sanitary 

 condition, and to accomplish these results unusual thorough- 

 ness, care and skilled supervision must all come into play. 

 These are some of the reasons zvhy milk is a public health 

 problem. 



We will now consider hotv milk directly affects the public 

 health. In a general sense it is easy to see that it is possible 

 for milk to affect the public health in four ways : 



First, by transmitting diseased conditions already existing 

 in the cow. 



Second, milk can directly affect the public health from the 

 inherently bad quality of the milk itself without necessarily 

 transmitting any specific disease. 



