DR. J. W. KERR'S PAf>ER 185 



to the sale of their product within the municipality 

 was affirmed. The right of such authority to 

 confiscate and destroy milk produced and shipped into 

 the municipality in violation of its regulations was also 

 affirmed. 



But the powers of municipalities have been 

 delegated to them by their respective States, and in 

 many instances these latter, in order to safeguard milk 

 supplies, have adopted laws or regulations, particularly 

 in respect to notification of cases of sickness and 

 conditions of employment on dairy farms, shipments 

 of milk from infected premises and adulterations of 

 milk as a food. 



Further, by a national Food and Drugs Act of June 

 30, 1906, milk entering into interstate commerce is 

 prohibited from being adulterated or misbranded, 1 and 

 in a decision rendered February 25, 1913, by the 

 District Court of Appeals contamination of such milk 

 by pathogenic bacteria was held to be adulteration 

 within the meaning of the Act. 



The necessity of a legal standard was adverted to, 

 however, which would define impure milk by fixing a 

 maximum number of bacteria allowable. 



By a Federal Act of February 15, 1803, also, milk 

 in danger of transmitting contagious and infectious 

 diseases may be prohibited from shipment in interstate 

 traffic. 



Under the laws and regulations referred to, wide- 

 spread action has been taken by Federal, State and 

 municipal authorities not only to prevent commerce 

 in dangerous milk, but to improve conditions under 

 which milk supplies are produced and handled. Great 

 emphasis has been given to bacterial counts because 

 the making of them was less expensive and less 

 difficult than dairy inspections, but the latter are also 



1 The powers of the Federal Government extend over inter* 

 state and international commerce. 



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