12 THE MILK QUESTION 



whole supply. It requires only a spark to start a confla- 

 gration. 



Formerly the attention of sanitarians was directed very 

 largely to the water as the source of typhoid fever and 

 other diseases. Now that the water supply of most of our 

 large cities is in a fairly satisfactory condition, milk is tak- 

 ing the place of water in the minds of health officers. 



It is more than a mere figure of speech to say that a 

 river of milk flows from the country into the city. This 

 river rises at the udder of the cow and flows into the mouth 

 of the consumer. It is a long thin stream with many tribu- 

 taries, and there is much mixing and intermingling of 

 the various supplies. Thus some of the contractors handle 

 over a hundred thousand quarts of milk a day, much 

 of which is mixed in large vats resembling enormous 

 bathtubs. 



This white river of milk collects dirt and foreign matter, 

 from its drainage basin and along the course of its flow, 

 which is sometimes several hundred miles. It picks up in- 

 fection, too, and in this way disease is transported from the 

 country to the city. There is an interchange of courtesies 

 in this regard, for, as we shall see, the germs of disease are 

 sometimes sent back to the country in the empty cans 

 and bottles. 



The size of this white river surprises those who have 

 given the subject little thought. For instance, New York 

 City uses 1,600,000 quarts of milk a day. This represents 

 only about one third of a quart for each person per day. 

 Twice this amount is used as butter, cheese, and other milk 

 products. More milk is used throughout the northern part 

 of our country than in our southland. In the tropics still 

 less is consumed, because it is exceedingly difficult to keep 

 the milk for any length of time, and on account of the 

 scarcity of ice, fresh milk is not an article of common use 

 as it is with us. In Japan, China, and some other countries 

 cow's milk is not used at all. 



