Supervision of Milk Production. 9Q9 



also the production of all milk consumed, since the largest pro- 

 portion of the parents of infants and consumers in general cannot 

 purchase certified milk, and the children of this class who cannot 

 afford to buy certified milk are the ones principally exposed to the 

 dangers of infant mortality. Such classifications of milk may be 

 of advantage to the milk trade, but they must not be taken into 

 consideration by sanitary officials who are supervising the milk 

 traffic. We are clear with regard to the ultimate aims which we 

 must bear in mind in the sanitary police supervision ; whether these 

 aims will ever be realized is a question of economic and social con- 

 ditions. At the present time the attainment of the ideal goal of 

 flawless supervision of milk from its production to its consumption 

 is made very difficult by these very conditions. As long as the 

 cheapness of milk as a food product for the masses stands in the 

 foreground in the interest of the people, a place in which it actually 

 must stand, a proper, thoroughly organized control of the pro- 

 duction can hardly be inaugurated. 



Recommendations for such control have teen made by Meinert and others, and 

 recently by Schern. For an effective execution of control over the production of milk, 

 supervision must be established in both city and country. Milk is produced not only 

 in the country but also in the city. All milk produced must be subjected to uniform 

 control. Within these districts of control the milk-producing cities should therefore 

 be included. A veterinarian periodically examines the dairy herds and the milk of 

 each animal, the individual animal in these districts, etc., without previously giving notice 

 to the owner of the animals as to the time of the inspecton. In this inspection the 

 milkers are also observed as to their state of health. The procured milk is examined 

 to see whether it is clean and sufficiently cooled. The stables are examined to determine 

 whether they meet the requirements as to light, ventilation and cleanliness. The control 

 of production is linked with the supervision of transportation in certain milk-collecting 

 places, and finally the inspection of the dealers at the place of consumption follows. 

 Such a complete supervision is not considered possible in practice without considerable 

 increase in the cost of the product, and this should and must be avoided. The sanitary 

 milk officials will have as their most important duty the finding of ways and means for 

 the practical execution of supervision, which may be accomplished without great 

 economic losses of production and efficiency, and without injuring the other factors 

 in the milk industry. Meinert believes in the possibility of supervising the places of 

 production under supervision of the state, by the appointment of physicians, veterinarians 

 and practical agriculturists for this purpose. 



For each township the milk producers should select trustworthy men as supervisors, 

 who by means of frequent examinations at the time of milking should -convince them- 

 selves of the manner in which the requirements of the legislative measures are being 

 observed. The activity of these supervisors should be principally along educational 

 lines. These men should call the attention of the owners to existing deficiencies in 

 the management of the dairy, they should offer remedies to eliminate these deficiencies, 

 and after the lapse of a certain time, they should satisfy themselves that their advice 

 has been carried out. In case of disease of the dairy cattle it should be reported to 

 a veterinarian for consultation and judgment. The supervisors should be instructed as 

 to their duties by the official veterinarians. Creamery corporations could select their 

 own supervisors instead of depending on the local supervisors for the inspection of the 

 dairies producing milk for their plants. Larger establishments could voluntarily subject 

 themselves to direct state control. Besides this practical supervision, the district 

 veterinarian should examine the animals every three months as to their condition of 

 health, and judge the character of their milk. Persons who are connected with the 

 procuring and handling of milk should be placed under the control of an official physician. 

 The producers, supervisors, milkers, and all persons connected with the dairy should 

 be examined as to the possibility of their transmitting human diseases to the consumer 

 through the milk acting as an intermediate host, and the supervisors should report their 

 observations as to any sickness among the attendants to the physician in authority. 

 The entire system is subject to control bv the state, which appoints its own officials 

 for larger districts to carry out the supervision of the work. 

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