306 



commercial article has fully demonstrated the absolute safety of 

 the product, which at tlie same time due to the special process of 

 Pasteurization has retained the taste, appearance, nutritive value 

 and digestibility of fresh raw milk. It is, therefore, to be hoped 

 that in some near future the entire milk supply of the city, at 

 least, may be subjected to some process of purification similar to 

 that now applied to the greater quantity now consumed here. An 

 examination of Dr. Case's appended report will show that some 

 of the producers of the samples examined could be prosecuted 

 for selling impure milk, containing, as they do, a larger number 

 of micro organisms than by law allowed, but I have personally 

 examined some of the dairies from which these samples were ob- 

 tained and found the premises and the milking methods so nearly 

 perfect and the owners so anxious to comply with all regulations 

 that I feel constrained to believe that the present high number of 

 bacteria must be due to the drouth and the resultant amount of 

 dust in the air. 



But taken altogether the improvement in the local milk supply 

 which has resulted directly from the eradication of tuberculosis 

 from the herds, — not alone on account of the removal of the dis- 

 eased animals, but to a very great extent also from the enforce- 

 ment of the provisions of the Milk Ordinance incidental upon the 

 repeated visits of the inspecting and testing officers (the city milk 

 inspector always accompanies the testing inspector) — can hardly 

 be conceived and must without doubt have contributed greatly to 

 the general health of the community. 



When to this ^.s added that outside of the purchase of an auto- 

 mobile, which would have been required an3'how, no special ex- 

 penditure or ai:)propriation has been required, that in fact this 

 Division, in spite of increased duties, is doin.g all the work with 

 one .$1200.00 officer less than during the preceding biennial period, 

 then it seems to me that there is every reason for the extension of 

 this zvork to the entire Territory. 



Reverting to the transmissibility of bovine tuberculosis to human 

 beings, and especially to children, and at t!ic same time remem- 

 bering the appalling prevalence of tuberculosis among the ])0]nila- 

 tion here, and especiall)' among the natives — more than twenty- 

 five per cent of all cases of generalized tuberculosis among chil- 

 dren under 16 years being due to the bovine type of tubercle bacilli, 

 that is, tuberculosis introduced bv milk from tuberculous cows, 

 then it a])])ears to me indefensible to allow a single tuberculous 

 animal tf) remain in the Islands since it has been demonstrated con- 

 clusively that the disease can be eradicated. 



In the estimates of expenditures of the Division of Animal In- 

 dustry for the present year I asked for $3,000.00 for the extension 

 of the bovine tuberculosis work to the other islands. .\s 1 am 

 informed that no money is available for the i)urpose, I would re- 

 spectfulH' suggest, in case the Roard approves of (he ])roiiose(l 

 work and so long as the sum required is insignificant in compari- 



