DAIRY, SEED IMPROVEMENT, STOCK BREEDERS' MEETINGS. 205 



at the present, are never going to successfully solve the prob- 

 lem of safe, clean and honest milk for the consumers in the 

 future. 



The universal use of milk as an ingredient of a large pro- 

 portion of the products of the kitchen has perhaps made us 

 lose sight of its prime individual value as a complete food in 

 itself, of the fact that it is the only single article of our food- 

 stuffs which is so constituted, and is in itself so balanced and 

 complete a ration, that human life can be sustained on it alone 

 for a long period. 



Cow's milk and mother's milk are nearly enough alike in the 

 proportion of their various constituents so that by simpl-e means, 

 so simple that a person of average mentality can understand 

 and carry them out, cow's milk can be made a sufficiently di- 

 gestible food for the average infant. This is particularly true 

 in cases where the mother has been able to nurse her child long 

 enough to get him at least well started in life. 



Faulty methods of production, distribution, and especially 

 faulty methods of receiving and caring for the milk at the 

 home give opportunities for pollution of and consequent 

 changes in the food value of milk. 



It is not fair, however, to continually place the fault of all 

 the bad qualities of milk upon the producer and dealer. The 

 unbiased testimony of the best authorities in the country is 

 practically a unit in declaring that certainly over fifty per cent 

 of the well demonstrated evils of milk should be justly charged 

 to thoughtless, careless or almost criminally ignorant methods 

 of caring for milk in the home. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



There are several possible ways of solving the health aspects 

 of the milk problem. 



One answer is Japan's — stop using cow's milk. This is never 

 going to be the solution in America. 



Another answer is : Have milk produced from absolutely 

 healthy cows in so clean a manner and transported and deliv- 

 ered in such a sanitary manner as to keep out all infection. 

 This is one ideal that should always be aimed at but practically 

 is impossible of absolute fulfilment. 



