444 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



also combats Behring's theory that sterilized milk is more injurious 

 than milk treated with formalin, by proving from his experiments 

 that formalin, by the very preventing of the souring of the milk, is 

 itself a menace, as these bacteria of lactic acid inhibit the growth of 

 pathogenic bacteria, such as tuberculosis, scarlet fever and dip- 

 theria. His conclusion is that heat and cold are the only permiss- 

 ible mediums for the preserving of milk, and most authorities bear 

 out this statement. But even more serious than the use of preser- 

 vatives is the proved fact that most of the market milk is so filthy 

 that its use by an infant is fraught with great danger. This dirt 

 reaches the milk from dust in stables, from the cow, from milkers, 

 from dirty receptacles, from flies or from water supply; and tuber- 

 culosis, scarlet and typhoid fevers and infection from pus of cows 

 having garget, are the main diseases communicated by means of 

 this unclean milk. In this connection I would urge everyone to 

 read circular No. 118, "The Unsuspected but Dangerously Tuber- 

 culous Cow," issued by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and 

 "The Tuberculin Test for Missouri Cattle," by Dr. D. F. Luckey, 

 our State Veterinarian, which give, in detail, information most im- 

 portant for every housewife to know. 



For the past few years there has been a widespread agitation 

 for honest labeling and clean food, but so far the efforts have been 

 mainly directed toward securing needed legislative action. Now 

 comes the time for active personal work, and here the story of the 

 Model Milk Supply of Copenhagen serves to point a moral and adorn 

 a tale. 



In 1878, Mr. Busck was struck with the fact that one of his 

 workmen was refused milk at a distillery where cows were kept, 

 on the ground that "He didn't buy his spirits there." Investigat- 

 ing the matter, Mr. Busck found that there was in Denmark, ab- 

 solutely no control over the cattle, the farm laborers or the adulter- 

 ation or contamination of milk. With a clearness of vision given 

 to few, he saw here a splendid opportunity for supplying the city 

 with a real necessity, and that, viewed either from a philanthropic 

 or a commercial point of view, the effort was well worth his while. 

 He at once enlisted the sympathy of one of the highest medical 

 authorities in Denmark, Professor Pamum, Herr Belle — at one 

 time the Minister to this country, Dr. Borch, and several other 

 prominent men, three of whom agreed to form an independent 

 commission, working without remuneration and with no monetary 

 interest in the concern. It was decided that any profits exceed- 

 ing 5 per cent, payable to shareholders, should go toward reducing 



