386 CITY MILK SUPPLY 



NEED OF MILK CONTROL 



Proper milk standards, while they are essential to efficient milk control by 

 public health authorities and have as their object the protection of the milk 

 consumer, are also necessary for the ultimate well-being of the milk industry 

 itself. Public confidence is an asset of the highest value in the milk business. 

 The milk producer is interested in proper standards for milk, since these contrib- 

 ute to the control of bovine tuberculosis and other cattle diseases and distinguish 

 between the good producer and the bad producer. The milk dealer is immedi- 

 ately classified by milk standards, either into a seller of first-class milk or a seller 

 of second-class milk, and such distinction gives to the seller of first-class milk 

 the commercial rewards which he deserves, while it inflicts just penalties on the 

 seller of second-class milk. For milk consumers, the setting of definite standards 

 accompanied by proper labeling makes it possible to know the character of the 

 milk which is purchased and to distinguish good milk from bad milk. In the 

 matter of public health administration, standards are absolutely necessary to 

 furnish definitions around which the rules and regulations of city health depart- 

 ments can be drawn, and the milk supply efficiently controlled. 



PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITIES 



While public health authorities must necessarily see that the source of supply 

 and the chemical composition should correspond with established definitions of 

 milk as a food, their most important duty is to prevent the transmission of dis- 

 ease through milk. This means the control of infantile diarrhea, typhoid fever, 

 tuberculosis, diphtheria, scarlet fever, septic throat infections, and other infec- 

 tious diseases in so far as they are carried by milk. 



SEPTIC SORE THROAT 



Septic sore throat deserves special mention because of the frequency in recent 

 years with which outbreaks of this disease have been traced to milk supplies. 

 The suggestion has been made that the infection of the milk is due to udder in- 

 fection of the cow and on the other hand it has been suggested that it is due to 

 contact with infected persons. The uncertainty cannot be dispelled until cases 

 of septic sore throat are regularly reported and tabulated by public health 

 authorities. The commission, therefore, recommends that public health authori- 

 ties make septic sore throat a reportable disease. 



ECONOMIC PROBLEM 



The commission recognizes the magnitude of the milk industry, and that the 

 improvement of milk supplies is primarily an economic problem. The success 

 achieved by the experiment in milk production, which has been carried out on a 

 very large scale by the New York Dairy Demonstration Co., is an illustration of 

 the fact that an extra price or premium paid to the producer for cleanliness and 

 care will bring results far more quickly and certainly than instructions or official 

 inspection. But while the basic problem is economic, and must eventually be 

 solved by commerce, public health authorities must show the way and must 

 establish standards and regulations in the interest of consumers, the value t)f 

 which even the consumers themselves often fail to appreciate. > 



