MILK SUPPLY : DISCUSSION 213 



of supply, so that they might have good or clean milk. In 

 the United States he represented one phase of this question, 

 and that was the part taken in the programme and in the 

 crusade by the physician. He was inclined to think that in 

 some countries perhaps not in England the reason why 

 physicians did not take a more radical interest in this 

 matter was because they were afraid that by so doing they 

 would detract from their professional dignity or reputation 

 by being willing to co-operate with a commercial institution, 

 or by being willing to go to the dairyman and associate 

 with him in this vital question of getting what they required 

 for the hospitals and the sick-room. He was also convinced 

 that they had not got certified milk in England, not because 

 they did not need it, but because they did not know what it 

 was. (Laughter.) He had very clear evidence of that in 

 correspondence which he had had with English physicians 

 and with health authorities in this country. Some six years 

 ago Dr. G. Still, a physician in the Great Ormond Street 

 Children's Hospital, told him that they were just about to 

 have certified milk in London. He had been in London four 

 times since, and he had never seen any certified milk there. 

 The previous day in the medical section his (Dr. Coit's) paper 

 was treated with scant courtesy in regard to the amount of 

 discussion upon it. He was asked to speak in five minutes 

 what he had come 3,000 miles to say in fifteen. He sup- 

 posed that, because there was no discussion, therefore the 

 propositions which he put forward were generally approved 

 and agreed to, but the object which they had in view could 

 not be accomplished by merely assenting to a proposition; 

 he meant that there must be co-ordinate association of 

 interested men who recognized the importance of the pro- 

 position, and who would band themselves together for a 

 crusade that would last their whole lifetime. The getting 

 of clean milk was a problem that was renewed twice in every 

 twenty-four hours, because cows were milked twice in every 

 twenty-four hours. Dairy hygiene had no existence in the 

 world until in America that crusade for clean milk was 

 taken up by the medical profession. He could quote several 

 authorities who had made that statement during the last 

 twenty years. If they should say that better veterinary 

 control of the milk supply was sufficient that would be a 

 falsification. The previous evening he was introduced to a 

 gentleman farmer. He (Dr. Coit) thought he was a doctor 

 he looked like one. (Laughter.) He was introduced to 

 this farmer with the remarkable words, " This is the gentle- 

 man who has given England certified milk." After a few 

 minutes' inquiry he found that this gentleman was making 



