MILK PROBLEM 



question. One hears nothing, in any general and con- 

 tinuous sense, of a beef or a bread problem. Why, then, 

 a milk problem? 



That such exists is briefly explained by the conjunc- 

 tion of two conditions: 



Milk is one of the most valuable and most largely used 

 of all foods. 



It is the food which is most apt, by far, to be dangerous 

 to health. 



This second condition depends very largely upon the 

 fact that, in this country at least, milk has customarily 

 been consumed raw, without the cooking, or half- 

 cooking, which has always protected civilized man 

 against infection in animal food. 



"Milk," wrote Professor William T. Sedgwick, years 

 before the problem reached its present acute form, "has 

 always been one of the most trusted of human foods. 

 Clothed in a veil of white; associated with the innocence 

 of infancy; of high repute for easy digestibility; believed 

 to represent in perfection a natural dietary, popular and 

 cheap, milk has always deservedly held a high place 

 in public esteem. Of late years, however, while main- 

 taining its reputation in respect to cheapness, food 

 value, blandness and digestibility, it has, in the eyes of 

 physicians and sanitarians at least, come to be regarded, 

 while in the uncooked condition, with general sus- 

 picion." l * 



- This well-founded suspicion has developed with the 

 rise of three branches of sanitary science: bacteriology, 

 which has demonstrated the readiness with which milk 

 may be contaminated and act as a medium for the 



* Note numbers refer to list of references at end of Chapter V. 



