PASTEURIZATION 191 



matter has been investigated. One needs only to make a 

 superficial study of the subject to be impressed with the 

 number of deaths and diseases caused by impure milk. 

 In pasteurization we have a simple and efficient method 

 to prevent these dangers. Pasteurization is justified inde- 

 pendently of the question of infant morbidity and mortal- 

 ity. That is another story. 



Until the health officer can assure us that the market 

 supply of milk is clean and safe we are forced to protect 

 ourselves. It is perfectly plain that we cannot get a safe 

 and satisfactory milk supply for our metropolitan cities 

 to meet all sanitary requirements in this generation. Until 

 the health officer can assure us that it is perfectly safe to 

 drink the milk raw, we should pasteurize it just as we 

 should boil drinking-water that we know is liable to con- 

 tain infection. 



Safeguarding the efficiency of pasteurization 



Pasteurization should be under the control of the health y 

 officer. Pasteurization is too important a public health 

 measure to leave to the caprice of the individual. The 

 process should be under strict surveillance, and guarded 

 by health laws and regulations. The responsibility of the 

 health officer in this regard is evident. It is his duty to see 

 that the temperature and time of pasteurization are cor- 

 rect, that the milk is not heated too high, nor too long. If 

 the milk is not heated high enough nor long enough the 

 serious germs may escape and a sense of false security es- 

 tablished. The rapid chilling and handling of pasteurized 

 milk must be carefully looked after and controlled by the r 

 health authorities. All pasteurizing apparatus should be 

 equipped with an automatic registration of the time and 

 temperature. This apparatus should be under the lock 

 and seal of the health authorities and should be carefully 

 tested from time to time to insure accuracy. 



It is further the duty of the health officer to see that pas- 



