33 



proof of its comparative harmlessness, have availed anything, or, 

 if accepted, would it really have proved that there was no danger? 

 Would the absence of any accident to one hundred thousand people 

 who might cross the rails for the next ten years prove that no 

 danger existed? In spite of the small percentage of injuries, in 

 spite of the relatively small probability that any specified indi- 

 vidual would meet with danger, the expense of such precautions 

 as flagmen or gates was wisely deemed necessary. 



What shall we do about the milk supply? Exactly what is done 

 in the case of the railroad or electric wire accident. The quiet, 

 unostentatious work of student, experimenter and producer alleviate 

 these dangers. Even if an appeal to restrictive legislation is nec- 

 essary, newspaper broadsides, illustrated with views of blood- 

 curdling horrors, are not essential, and may even retard the good 

 cause. 



It is a fact that tuberculosis is now on the decrease, owing to 

 more knowledge of it and how it should be controlled. In Boston, 

 from 184G to I8G0, the number of annual deaths from consumption 

 per 1,000 of population ranged from 40 to 48. From 1886 to 1896 

 they had declined to from 25 to 40. The average from 1891 to 

 1896 was 29, against 47, the average from 1851 to 1855. But 

 the fact remains that tuberculosis is still the most fatal disease 

 among us. It kills its hundreds where other well-known diseases 

 kill their tens ; and the fact that it is decreasing should not 

 preclude still further efforts along the line of precaution and 

 prevention. 



We desire to urge with emphasis that there is truth in both sides 

 of the contentions of the last few years. But we believe that, with 

 all that can be said against it, milk is relatively one of the most 

 healthful foods there is, a great boon to the human race, and a 

 food product which should be consumed in much larger quantities 

 than at present. We believe that, especially in the large cities, 

 more people suffer from the want of it than from its use. At the 

 same time, there is an element of danger in it, just as there is an 

 element of danger in grade crossings, in exposed electric wires and 

 thousands of other things. Science is making progress in showing 

 us how to reduce these dangers. It has been put to practical 

 account in surgery, and the deaths from surgical operations have 

 been thereby wonderfully reduced during the past few years. The 

 studious investigators and the intelligent producers of milk should 

 work together, each counteracting any tendency of the other to ex- 

 cess, and thus bringing about true and healthy progress. There 

 should be a hearty co-operation between conservative scientists aud 



