DR. J. W. KERR'S PAPER 175 



THE SUPERVISION OF MILK SUPPLIES 

 IN THE UNITED STATES, AND ITS 

 BEARING ON THE PROTECTION OF 

 THE PUBLIC HEALTH. 



BY ASSISTANT SURGEON-GENERAL J. W. KERR. 



United States Public Health Service. 



MILK is in all probability more largely used in the 

 United States than in any other country. It enters 

 into the dietary of practically every inhabitant from 

 infancy to old age. Because of the extent of its 

 use, our milk supplies have been likened to vast 

 rivers whose tributaries flow through thousands of 

 miles of agricultural country, and empty finally into 

 the great centres of population. 



The average annual consumption of milk of 

 urban populations in the United States is held to 

 be about 23 gallons per person. Since the total of 

 this class of the population in 1910 was 42,623,383, 

 it requires about 980,000,000 gallons of milk to 

 supply its needs annually. This enormous quantity 

 by no means represents the total milk production, 

 however, since it does not include that used by 

 the farming population, and is exclusive of the 

 supplies entering into the manufacture of butter and 

 cheese. It does represent, however, those supplies, 

 the production and handling of which constitute 

 largely the milk problem, a problem which is among 

 the most important of those affecting the public 

 health. 



HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT. 



Official Measures. Probably the first official 

 action in respect to milk taken in America was 

 due to the occurrence of that highly fatal affection 

 known as "milk sickness " early in the last century. 

 Several of the States offered liberal rewards for the 



