No. 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 719 



would not only insist upon the production of clean, pure, wholesome 

 milk, but you would see that the dealer handled your product in a 

 cleanly, sanitary, honest manner or you would find one who did. 

 Upon you to a certain extent lies the blame for the state of affairs 

 which now exists, for these people do not know what pure milk is. 

 And just as long- as this class of dealers can buy milk, these poor 

 unknowing people are going to use it. 



THE REMEDY WITH PRODUCERS. 



Now let us see what can be done to remedy this. First, you pro- 

 ducers of milk for city consumption, try to impress on your minds 

 the vital importance of what you are doing to some consumers ol 

 your product. Never handle a pail of milk without remembering 

 that this milk may be the means through which health and strength 

 may be regained by some sufferer if you handle their food as you 

 know you should. Then know your dealer and know that he handles 

 your product as he should do. Then hound your lawmakers until 

 they will give the Dairy and Food Department enough money to 

 inspect the sanitary end of the milk supply as well as the adultera- 

 tions. While I do not for a minute believe that any chemical adul- 

 teration is necessary, but that it should be followed up as closely as 

 it is being done, or closer if possible, and offenders punished, yet 

 I do believe that more sickness and deaths are caused by milk 

 handled in dirty cans in disease-ridden dairies and milk depots and 

 in filth generally, ten times over than were ever caused by chemical 

 preservatives used in milk. An investigation of recorded epidemics 

 of typhoid fever alone that have been traced to the milk supply 

 will convince anyone of the crying need for action in this direction. 



This being the case, why is it not time something was done in this 

 direction? More frequent examinations of the milk supply of our 

 cities and villages are necessary. Examinations bacteriologically, 

 miscroscopically and chemically of the milk sold by every distributor 

 should be made monthly. If these examinations show the milk from 

 certain distributors is not being handled properly, a thorough in- 

 spection of the city plant or depot of this dealer will determine if 

 he is at fault or not. If he is at fault, j>roceed as deemed best by 

 the Department to make this dealer remedy his methods; or if 

 his methods are found right then examine the milk from the different 

 sources from which he secures his supply in the same way and when 

 the trouble is located notify the dealer and hold him responsible, as 

 it is within his power to either have the trouble remedied, or to re- 

 fuse to buy the milk from the producer who is at fault. This 

 followed up conscientiously, and it can be done without the expense 

 being burdensome, all milk required to be Pasteurized and all deliv- 

 eries made in glass bottles that have been thoroughly cleaned and 

 sterilized before filling, and the day of epidemics caused by an im- 

 pure milk supply will be a thing of the past. 



DR. BARCLAY: The first time I prepared a paper on the subject 

 of milk, its production and uses, and read it, I was very much dis- 

 couraged by many friends on account of the subject being a new 

 one. I read that paper ai Louisville, Kentucky, before the Missis- 

 sippi Valley Association about twelve or fourteen years ago. In 

 that paper I made some statements which were pretty broad and 



