546 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



construction of buildings, care of the streets, disposal of sewage 

 and many other conditions affecting the public health are governed 

 bj^ laws and ordinances. The legislators have given much attention 

 to foods; and probably more to milk than any other one. Some of 

 the reasons why milk receives special attention are, that it is usually 

 used raw and in this case, contamination will not be made harmless 

 by cooking as is done with most other foods; furthermore, milk is of 

 such a delicate composition that it is contaminated more easily 

 than other foods; again, milk is used chiefly by persons who are least 

 able to resist or overcome the effects of an unwholesome diet. 

 These are some of the reasons why there are more laws governing 

 milk than other foods. But if any dairyman thinks that milk is re- 

 ceiving an unduly large share of the lawmaker's care, he should con- 

 sult persons engaged in certain other occupations and he will soon 

 find all the sympathy he wants. I do not care to argue the ad- 

 vantages or disadvantages of milk laws, but I wish to emphasize 

 that these laws reflect public opinion. They are in line with the 

 progress of the times and laws affecting the dairyman will be passed 

 whether he wants them or not because his product is one that affects 

 the public health. 



Some dairy laws are admitted by all good dairymen to be in their 

 interest. Such a one is the law prohibiting the sale of adulterated 

 milk. Others are not so popular and some laws that have been 

 passed and some that have been suggested are decidedly unpopular. 

 Let us examine a few of the causes leading to the proposal and en- 

 actment of dairy laws: A medical authority writes that in a certain 

 city of 500,000 inhabitants there have been 412 deaths of young in- 

 fants from cholera infantum in a single year and it is pointed out 

 that many of these young children were being fed on impure cow's 

 milk; such statements are seen from time to time in medical paper's 

 and in the daily press. A well-known scientist finds tyrotoxicon in 

 milk and certain milk products and it is widely published that this 

 dangerous product of bacterial development may be due to improper 

 methods of producing and handling milk. A student of public ques- 

 tions compiles lists of outbreaks of contagious diseases which were 

 due to infected milk and he counts 195 of typhoid fever, 99 of scarlet 

 fever and 36 of diphtheria, making a total of 330. The official re- 

 port of a city milk inspector described the unsanitary conditions 

 obtaining at some dairies supplying milk for the market. House- 

 holders sometimes find a sediment in their milk and, although this 

 happens but seldom, they remember it long. 



I do not affirm or deny any of these statements, but I say they 

 are responsible for certain dairy laws, and certain proposed dairy 

 laws and a certain attitude toward milk on the part of some people, 

 that are objectionable and injurious to everyone who is interested 

 in the production and handling of milk. Although great quantities 

 of milk are consumed amounting to an average of about a half a 

 pint per capita per day, the demand would be greater were it not for 

 stories like the ones cited. li is to the financial interest of dairy- 

 men to remove every excuse for public opinions unfavorable to milk, 

 and the best way of doing this is to study carefully the entire sub- 

 ject of milk contamination, then eliminate as many sources of con- 

 tamination as possible and reduce others as far as possible. 



The direct sources of milk contamination may all be considered 

 under five heads as follows: 



