154 PROTECTION OF THE CONSUMER. 



but it is too expensive to be used for practical purposes. At 

 the present time, therefore, it cannot be stated that any of 

 these adulterants can be safely used, although it may be that 

 we shall find that some of them can be used without danger. 

 One of the chief objections to their use is that each person 

 who handles the milk is liable to add a little of the disin- 

 fectant, and thus, by the time the milk reaches the consumer, 

 a large amount may be. present. Instances of serious illness 

 from such a cause are known, especially in the use of 

 formalin. 



4. All of these forms of disinfectants are a means of cover- 

 ing up a lack of cleanliness and proper care in the dairy. As 

 long as the dairyman knows that keeping the milk depends 

 upon his care in handling it he will be more cleanly and more 

 careful in his methods than when he feels that, by adding a 

 small amount of a certain adulterant, he can protect his milk 

 from souring. The use of these disinfectants will thus invite 

 a greater carelessness on the part of the milk producer and 

 milk distributor. In this respect, therefore, their use is unfor- 

 tunate, tending to decrease rather than increase the conditions 

 of wholesomeness surrounding milk production. 



5. The value of these disinfectants is simply to protect the 

 milk from souring but not to render the milk any less liable 

 to distribute disease. None of the pathogenic bacteria which 

 find their way into milk are killed by the small quantity of 

 disinfectants used. The only reason .why such disinfectants 

 are used is for the purpose of protecting milk from souring 

 for a few hours until it can be distributed, and they are not 

 to be looked upon as surrounding it with any safeguards or 

 of aiding at all in preventing its distributing disease. 



Taking these facts together little can be said in favor of the 

 use of disinfectants. They do not render the milk any more 

 wholesome or any less liable to distribute disease; they 

 simply encourage carelessness on the part of the dairyman 

 and most of them certainly make the milk unwholesome. 



