WHY THERE IS A MILK PROBLEM 15 



municable disease. Bacteriology has demonstrated the 

 existence of many persons who harbor and emit germs 

 of disease without themselves showing any symptoms. 

 Such carriers have been demonstrated with respect to 

 typhoid fever, diphtheria, septic sore throat, and a 

 number of other diseases. While the percentage of 

 carriers in the population is small, the evidence is that 

 there are, in the aggregate, many such persons and 

 many others who manifest only atypical, unrecognized 

 symptoms of the disease of which they bear the infec- 

 tion. Such facts must greatly increase the sense of inse- 

 curity with respect to the sources of disease. It scarcely 

 need be said that a proportionate number of carriers exists 

 in the host of persons engaged in the handling of milk.* 



There are two possible measures against infection in 

 milk, to keep it out, or to destroy it if there. The dif- 

 ficulty or impossibility of keeping it out has just been 

 indicated. There is immense importance, then, in 

 being able to destroy it without' material alteration of 

 the milk. This, fortunately, can be accomplished by 

 a form of insurance which will be discussed in another 

 chapter namely, pasteurization. 



BAD MILK AND INFANT MORTALITY 



Approximately one-fifth of the deaths occurring in 

 the Registration Area of the United States are of in- 



* It was estimated, for example, by Health Commissioner Lederle of 

 New York City, in 1912, that about 127,000 persons were engaged in 

 handling the milk supply of that city, and that there might be perhaps 

 a hundred typhoid bacillus carriers alone in this army of persons. 

 Rochester, N. Y., in order to guard against infection, by typhoid car- 

 riers, of milk to be sold raw, has adopted the requirement of a blood 

 test for dairymen and their workers. 



