PASTEURIZATION 225 



The unsatisfactory state of our knowledge upon this sub- 

 ject is evident from the following views recently expressed: 



Rummell 1 doubts the relationship between the Mueller- 

 Barlow's disease and sterilized milk. The cause of this dis- 

 ease, despite the great literature upon it, is entirely un- 

 known. The fact that the occurrence of infantile scurvy 

 varies so much in different regions leads one to suppose 

 that perhaps it has some relation to the food of the cow 

 rather than to the heating of the milk. That the disease 

 seems to be brought about sometimes by high-grade sterili- 

 zation of the milk, in an analogous way to scurvy in adults, 

 seems probable. Animal experiments have been very con- 

 tradictory and have not yet done much to clear up the 

 situation. 



Koeppen 2 looks upon scurvy as an auto-intoxication 

 brought about by intestinal putrefaction, which process 

 is favored in children artificially raised. 



Recent evidence points to the fact that scurvy may be 

 brought about by lack of the inorganic salts of alkaline 

 bases, especially potassium, in the infant's dietary. This, 

 combined with the injurious effects of a high percentage of 

 fat in the food, may bring about serious disturbances of 

 digestion and metabolism, favoring the production of the 

 scorbutic condition. If this view is correct it entirely elim- 

 inates the heating of the milk as an etiologic factor. 



The objections to pasteurization: Resume 



Pasteurization saves lives and prevents sickness. 

 Weighing against this great merit we have certain disad- 

 vantages connected with the heating of milk. That there 

 are two sides to the question may be judged from the fact 

 that those who give the matter careful consideration come 



1 Rummell, O., " Sterilisierte Milch?" Deut. Praxis, vol. 13, 1904, pp. 

 201-07. 



1 Koeppen, " Zur Moller-Barlow'schen Krankheit," Jahrb. f. Kinder- 

 heilk., Bd. 44, 1897. 



