15 



sanitary conditions in the homes of the laboring classes, resulting 

 from their work, there is still a margin of lessened mortality from 

 infantile tuberculosis which can be observed only in those dis- 

 tricts where the tuberculous infection has been reduced or entirely 

 removed from the market milk, whether by testing or by pasteuri- 

 zation, a fact which is easily understood when we recall Dr. 

 Mitchell's already quoted statement that 84 per cent, of children 

 under 2 years of age and suffering from scrofulosis were fed 

 on unpasteurized milk and showed infection with the bovine 

 form of the tubercle bacillus. Similar observations made by Dr. 

 Park of New York and by many other prominent investigators 

 were quoted in my paper before this Association last year, and 

 Dr. Mitchell's observations may, therefore, be considered as con- 

 firming these. With such evidence before us, we can no longer 

 afford to quibble and waste time on recalcitrant obstructionists, 

 who in most cases are endeavoring to further personal aims or 

 ambitions by appearing to champion the cause of the overbur- 

 dened milk producer who cannot "afford" to rid his herd of 

 tuberculous cows. 



That bovine tuberculosis can be eradicated without actual loss 

 to the milk producer and without indemnifying the owmer of con- 

 demned cows out of public funds, has been amply demonstrated 

 here. With the passing of the municipal milk ordinance of the 

 City and County of Honolulu in 1910, it became a misdemeanor 

 to sell milk from cows affected with tuberculosis and to obtain 

 a license to sell milk the applicant must present a certificate show- 

 ing that his herd had been tested with tuberculin and found free 

 from tuberculosis. While the ordinance provided that the test 

 should be made without cost to the owner, no provision was made 

 for the disposal of the reacting animals or for the reimbursement 

 of the owner who had to send a greater or less percentage of his 

 herd to the slaughter house. The dairymen consequently did the 

 only possible thing that could be done in the premises, that is, 

 they raised the price of milk. If the milk consuming public 

 wanted milk from tuberculin tested herds they must pay for it. 

 Whether this point of view was correct is a question. The milk 

 consumer undoubtedly received the most direct benefit from the 

 measure, but being preliminarily a public health measure, origi- 

 nated and enforced by government officers, and one of grave im- 

 port to the entire community, whether milk consumer or not, the 

 question as to whether the consumer alone should pay for the 

 protection of the entire community naturally presents itself. The 

 demand for clean milk was, however, so strong that the increase 

 of 25 per cent, in the cost of milk to the consumer caused but 

 little objection and apparently had little effect upon the quantity 

 consumed. Milk rose in price from 10 cents to 12^2 cents per 

 quart in Honolulu, a few independent milk producers, mostly 

 Orientals, selling at 12 cents flat. With an average consumption 

 of 9000 quarts per day an increase of but 2 cents per quart would 

 mean $160.00 every day, or $65,700.00 per annum paid by the 



