196 CONFERENCE ON MILK PROBLEMS 



better handle this matter than the Health Department. The Med- 

 ical Milk Commission of Manhattan, outlines the inspection and 

 the work in the laboratory, and it outlines the bacteriological work 

 that is done. The state aids in the tuberculous testing of the cer- 

 tified herds, in that way relieving at least the smaller producers 

 from the expense of the bacteriological and the tuberculin testing. 



I believe that the Medical Milk Commission, being made up of 

 members who are interested in milk only for these special pur- 

 poses, can give more undivided attention to that matter than can 

 the Health Department. At times the Health Department would 

 be thoroughly interested, and at times it would not be thoroughly 

 interested, and at such a time. I think the highest grade of milk 

 would fall, possibly, to the level of the better class of the general 

 supply. The Medical Milk Commission would be more directly 

 interested. They have not any special plans except in this one 

 (special respect, and so I hope that the certified milk question will 

 remain for some years under the Medical Milk Commissions. 



On the other hand, I rather doubt whether we should continue, 

 as in New York, to have a Medical Milk Commission looking after 

 the inspected grades of milk, and there I should say that the city 

 should take that up, and that the Medical Milk Commission should 

 not look after the second grades. 



In New York, the Health Department is not ready to take up 

 this inspected milk. Several years ago it became absolutely neces- 

 sary that the milk commission should do it for the sake of the hos- 

 pitals, but I believe it is within the province of the Health Depart- 

 ment to give good milk to the city, although possibly not to con- 

 trol the very best class of milk until, at least, they have inspectors 

 enough to do the necessary work. 



It means that we must take into the Health Department one or 

 two men to look after the certified milk, or the guaranteed milk. 

 It seems to me it would be better to make the milk dealers bear the 

 expense, and the Medical Milk Commission can, in a perfectly 

 proper way, look after the production of the certified milk, and in 

 a way that the Health Department can hardly do at the present 

 time. 



As to what the Department is trying to do here in the city, Dr. 

 North very frankly and very justly stated, or at least implied, that 

 the Department had rather been holding back for a few years ; that 

 New York had started out very bravely some years ago, but had 

 rather held back in the last few years. Now, those of you who do 

 not live in New York hardly appreciate the difficulty of moving 

 a great body. We have all sorts of opinions. We have the news- 

 papers on one side or the other; you have the Board of Health 



