158 CONFERENCE ON MILK PROBLEMS 



this matter of pure milk. The third function of the Medical 

 Milk Commission is to establish medical control over milk 

 designed for clinical purposes. 



The physician knows best what he needs in the sick-room; 

 he knows what he needs in the hospital and he knows what he 

 needs in the nursery. Therefore, the Medical Milk Commis- 

 sion has one high function, and that is to establish a control 

 over methods for the production of the highest grade of milk. 

 I had the honor of calling that grade of milk by a distinctive 

 name which is now recognized by our seventy Medical Milk 

 Commissions, by the federal government and by several state 

 laws. 



Another legitimate function of the Medical Milk Commission 

 is to teach the proper use of milk so that the rich and poor 

 alike know how to use clean milk. This can be done for the 

 poor through charity or philanthropy and thus establish a 

 crusade against infant mortality, by giving clean milk and in- 

 structions to mothers. 



This matter of obtaining clean milk is of vital importance. 

 It touches human life at many points. It has to do with mor- 

 tality, morbidity and poverty. It has to do with economic 

 and social problems. I have been interested in the question for 

 twenty years but I do not expect to live long enough to see the 

 milk problem solved. It is, to my mind, almost insoluble. It 

 is a problem in cleanliness. Cleanliness has been said to be 

 next to godliness and they may be said to be closely related as 

 problems. 



It is just as difficult to get cleanliness applied to the produc- 

 tion of milk and have it brought clean to our doors, as it would 

 be to have universal godliness. It is a problem that will never 

 be completely solved, because it requires renewed vigilance 

 every day of the year. 



I wish to express one thought in the interest of the dairyman, 

 and that is that all persons and agencies connected with the 

 milk industry shall be reasonable in their demands upon him. 

 The dairyman's financial problems should be respected, his ef- 

 fort to make a living should be considered and he should not 

 be asked to sell his milk at a price that will not give him a 

 living profit. We should also, in our requirements for ob- 

 taining clean milk, be harmonious. 



