VII 



RELATION OF MILK TO INFANT MORTALITY 



Much has been written upon this subject, 'and the literature is so 

 full of material prepared by the leading medical and public health ex- 

 perts of the world that the subject is familiar to everyone who has given 

 any attention to the relation of public milk supplies to the public health. 



The authorities are unanimous in agreeing that there is a close rela- 

 tionship between infant mortality and the quality of the milk used by any 

 city. It will be sufficient for the purposes of this Survey to quote the 

 testimony of Mr. John H. Larson, Secretary of the New York Milk 

 Committee, who, because of his position and the work of that committee, 

 has for a number of years given special attention to this subject : 



JOHN H. LARSON, produced as a witness on behalf of the Committee, 

 first being duly sworn, examined by Dr. North, testified : 



Q. Mr. Larson, will you state briefly your previous experience in 

 connection with milk investigations and your present position ? 



A. I am the Secretary of the New York Milk Committee and have 

 been connected with that organization since 1912. 



Q. Will you state what that organization is? 



A. It is an organization to promote the welfare of children in New 

 York City and throughout the country by encouraging a safe milk supply 

 for the children, and other methods of preventing infant mortality. 



Q. Will you state briefly what that organization has done since you 

 have occupied the position of Secretary, before and since? 



A. I think I better begin at the beginning. The New York Milk 

 Committee was originally organized because the milk supply of New York 

 City was not deemed fit for infant feeding, for the feeding of infants 

 who were not breast fed. The primary object was to educate the public 

 to demand a supply that, was safe for their children. In order to do this 

 we started two things; one was the infant milk stations in New York 

 City; they were conducted up until and including 1911, when they were 

 taken over by the city. 



Q. Are those stations still operating? 



A. Yes, the City of New York is operating sixty of them today. 



Q. They are still selling milk in bottles to the mothers of those 

 babies ? 



A. Yes. 



Q. How much less does that milk cost than the milk delivered to 

 the home? 



A. Two cents less than Grade A pasteurized delivered to the home, 

 or ten cents less than certified. 



