156 CONFERENCE ON MILK PROBLEMS 



taining clean milk as exemplified in the efforts of those who 

 are qualified by their knowledge to solve this problem. The 

 Medical Milk Commission, which I am proud to represent as 

 its author, is a special commission with a special purpose with 

 reference to clean milk. It had its origin in this country and 

 antedated all other concerted medical, municipal and federal 

 agencies to obtain clean milk. 



A Medical Milk Commission has its existence by the initia- 

 tive of a representative medical society. Following the first, 

 organized in New Jersey twenty years ago, there were in 1906 

 twenty- two such Commissions in the United States. At this 

 time Dr. Clark, an altruistic physician in Cincinnati, present- 

 ing statistics on milk borne epidemics before the Academy of 

 Medicine, urged the appointment of a Medical Milk Commis- 

 sion like that in New Jersey. His statistics on the dreadful 

 mortality from typhoid, diphtheria and scarlet fever were a 

 justification for the earnest endeavor. Suddenly his voice grew 

 thick and he fell to the floor dead. The tragic death of Dr. 

 Clark led the Academy to appoint a Medical Milk Commission. 



This Commission became very active and earnest in its ef- 

 forts. Dr. Otto P. Geier of Cincinnati, an intimate friend of 

 Dr. Clark, became the Secretary of the Commission. He be- 

 gan to interest himself in the work Dr. Clark had inaugur- 

 ated. He corresponded with all the Medical Milk Commissions 

 in the United States. He wrote to me suggesting a confer- 

 ence of these Commissions and I joined him in bringing about 

 the first national conference of milk commissions which was 

 held in Atlantic City five years ago. There were about two 

 hundred physicians, sanitarians and Government representa- 

 tives present. 



This conference resulted in a permanent national federation 

 of these Commissions and proposed to extend their missionary 

 work to other cities. 



The Medical Milk Commission has one main purpose and 

 that is to get clinically clean milk which may safely be used for 

 hospitals, invalids and infant feeding. It has been found that 

 its initial efforts will arouse the interest of the people, who 

 will demand a cleaner market milk of the municipal authori- 

 ties. 



Average market milk, whether in bulk or cans, is not clean 



