24 BULLETIN 342, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



for infant feeding according to our present knowledge of vitamins, 

 and it is therefore quoted : 



The second point in regard to milk lies in the effect of pasteurization. This 

 measure is now well-nigh universal and in America at least has played a tre- 

 mendous part in the reduction of infant mortality, especially in the summer 

 months. At present, however, we know that this treatment while removing 

 dangerous germs may also eliminate the antiscorbutic factor. The sensible 

 attitude then is to recognize this fact and if a clean whole milk is not available 

 retain the pasteurization and meet the vitamin deficiency by other agents. 

 Such agents are orange juice and tomato juice, and experience has already 

 shown that these juices can be well tolerated by infants much earlier than 

 used to be thought possible. 



It seems, therefore, that the only serious effect of pasteurization 

 on the vitamins is on the antiscorbutic vitamin C, and it is evident 

 that the feeding of orange or tomato juice, or other antiscorbutic, 

 readily makes up for the deficiency of this vitamin in pasteurized 

 milk. 



THE NECESSITY FOR PASTEURIZATION. 



The need for safeguarding the milk supply is amply proved by 

 the numerous epidemics traced to milk. Trask (29) reported 179 

 epidemics of typhoid fever from 1881 to 1907, of which 107 were in 

 the United States, 51 epidemics of scarlet fever, including 25 in this 

 country, during the same period, and 23 epidemics of diphtheria 

 from 1879 to, 1907, including 15 in the United 'States. These were 

 all traced to milk. He also listed 7 epidemics of sore throat, most 

 of which occurred in England. Since 1907 several epidemics of 

 septic sore throat have been traced to milk. Among these may be 

 mentioned the epidemics at Boston, Chicago, and Baltimore, and 

 others which have occurred in smaller cities. 



The problem of pasteurization is not based simply on the question 

 of which is preferable, raw or pasteurized milk, but rather upon the 

 most economical and practical way of producing a safe milk supply. 



In connection with the possibility of transmission of disease 

 through the agency of milk, certain fundamental facts must be 

 recognized. 



1. That such possibilities exist as demonstrated by epidemics of the past. 



2. That certain diseases transmitted to man, such as tuberculosis, may come 

 from diseased animals. The danger from this source can be prevented by the 

 elimination of tuberculous cattle from producing herds on the basis of the 

 tuberculin test. 



3. That the freeing of the herds from tuberculosis offers no protection against 

 other diseases, as typhoid fever, diphtheria, and septic sore throat, because the 

 pathogenic organisms causing these diseases may come from infected water sup- 

 plies or probably in most cases from human carriers of disease. 



The term "carriers" is used to designate persons who carry the 

 disease-producing bacteria. In the case of diphtheria, carriers har- 



