NEW YORK MILK COMMITTEE 181 



The influence for good of the above mentioned and other 

 publications emanating from the National Capital has been not 

 only local but has been widespread throughout the United 

 States and Europe, and has even extended to Australia. 



The Report on Typhoid Fever in the District of Columbia 

 was prepared by a Committee of the Medical Society. By in- 

 vitation the report was presented to the Committee on the Dis- 

 trict of Columbia of the House of Representatives. It was 

 found that there were four principal causes for the occurrence 

 of the disease: (a) Potomac water-supply; (b) pollution of 

 the soil by the leakage from privies, defective sewers and the 

 backing up of sewage from tidal movements ; (c) to drinking 

 of well or pumpwater ; (d) drinking of contaminated milk. 



Among the recommendations of the committee, which were 

 unanimously adopted by the medical society, were the construc- 

 tion of works for the filtration of the Potomac or Washington 

 water the only method of purification the abandonment as 

 rapidly as possible of all wells within the city limits ; the re- 

 pairing of defective sewers ; the extension of the water supply 

 and the sewers ; the making of house connections to these ; care- 

 ful inspection of all dairies in the District from which the milk- 

 supply was drawn ; and the enactment of a law by which no milk 

 shall be sold in the District without a permit from the health 

 office. The inspection should cover an examination at the 

 dairies of all possible sources of infection, including the water- 

 supply. 



The city authorities, recognizing the importance of these 

 recommendations, immediately sought remedial legislation. 

 The United States Congress was prompt to respond and passed 

 the Milk Law of 1895, which was approved on the 2nd of 

 March of that year. This law required the inspection of all 

 city depots and dairy farms and a permit from the health of- 

 ficer of the District of Columbia before milk could be sold for 

 consumption in the City of Washington. 



The records of these inspections were kept upon cards known 

 as "Score Cards." Washington has the honor of initiating in- 

 spection and the introduction of "Score Cards." This is at- 

 tested by Mr. E. H. Webster, then Chief of the Dairy Division, 

 Department of Agriculture, in Bulletin 41 B. P. H. and M. 

 H. S. 



