No. 4.] MILK SUPPLY OF CITIES. 83 



always below, and that others hover about the line, occasion- 

 ally crossing it. The study of such herds, their breeding, 

 length of time in milk, with the tests of the individuals 

 making up the herd, would be very interesting and valuable. 



Third Problem, — Sanitary. 



Quality in milk means more than total milk solids, — it 

 includes cleanliness and healthfulness. I have seen an 

 estimate that from three hundred to four hundred pounds of 

 manure are daily swallowed in New York in the milk sup- 

 ply. The commercial fraud of selling milk of less than 

 average food value is the whitest of innocence as compared 

 with selling germs of typhoid, fever and tuberculosis ; yet 

 in the case of milk solids we have ample legislation, but 

 practically none in the case of dirt and disease. I am aware 

 that there is a law prohibiting the sale of milk from " sick 

 or diseased " cows ; but it does not amount to much, for 

 lack of legislation to enforce it. There should be some 

 system of inspection of herds supplying cities with milk, 

 which should not only take cognizance of the health of the 

 animals but of the cleanliness of the stable, the amount of 

 air and sunlight it receives and the care of the milk before 

 leaving the farm. Modern investigation tells us that sour- 

 ing is caused by bacteria which get into the milk after it is 

 drawn. If milk could be kept absolutely free from bacteria 

 it would practically keep forever ; or, in the more terse 

 language of Professor Sedgwick, " short-lived milk is usu- 

 ally filthy milk." With more care there would be no sour 

 milk returned to the producers and no losses to consumers 

 from the milk curdling in the can almost before it is taken 

 into the house. 



This inspection should go so far as to include the exist- 

 ence of contagious diseases among those who have the 

 handling of milk and milk utensils. The Board of Health 

 has done some excellent work in investigating outbreaks oi 

 typhoid fever and their relation to the milk supply. But 

 the work should go further than this, and should include 

 precautionary measures, as well as the study of causes after 

 there has been resultant disease. Pasteurizing milk so as 



