The Mortality of Infants. 83 



moist food producing an analogous condition to that of 

 chronic alcoholism in human beings. Such condi- 

 tions inevitably result in diminished vitality and a 

 greater susceptability to disease, although our local 

 dairymen profess a different opinion. 



u There exists a lamentable and disgraceful disregard 

 for the cleanliness of the cows themselves. The ani- 

 mals are, for the most part, confined in stalls and de- 

 prived of bedding, standing out their wretched lives 

 upon hard board floors ; they lie down in their own 

 evacuations, w r hich adhere to the flanks and udders 

 in dense masses. Under these conditions the produc- 

 tion of a pure milk supply is impossible. Milk thus 

 collected unavoidably contains impurities of all kinds, 

 consisting chiefly of stable litter, manure, epithelial 

 scales from the teats of the co\v as well as from the 

 hands of the milkers." 



The report goes on to say that about seventy-five 

 per cent, of the cows in these dairies were found to 

 be affected with tuberculosis, and the doctor urges 

 the necessity of bestowing a greater share of public 

 and legislative attention than heretofore on this mat- 

 ter, being one of vital importance. 



It is simply wonderful what the public will stand 

 in the way of filthy milk, as far as this is an estab- 

 lished fact for the various large cities in Germany, and, 

 if we may consider the frequent complaints found in 

 the various agricultural and dairying periodicals of 

 this country as an indication in this direction, it must 



