188 MILK SURVEY OF THE CITY OF ROCHESTER 



and sterilization of the bottles themselves, as well as the apparatus in the 

 pasteurizing plants. It is to be expected that a first-class pastuerizing 

 process will produce a glass bottle of milk containing no more than ten 

 thousand bacteria per cc. There are numerous pasteurizing plants in 

 other cities consistently operating in this way, so that the milk sold from 

 the delivery wagons contains not more than ten thousand bacteria per cc. 

 It must be said that the pasteurizing plants of the City of Rochester are 

 not controlled by bacterial tests made either by the dealers themselves or 

 by the city Department of Health. The failure to regularly make control 

 tests by taking samples of bacteria from these pasteurizing plants, un- 

 doubtedly prevents both the dealers and the Health Department from 

 having any knowledge as to the efficiency of the pasteurizing processes. 

 What has been said regarding the large number of bacteria in the 

 pasteurized milk in Rochester can be said with even greater emphasis 

 concerning the bacteria in the raw milk of Rochester. While the in- 

 spectors did not take samples of bottled milk from the raw milk dealers, 

 yet the samples taken from the cans of raw milk at the railroad platform 

 plainly indicate what the character of the raw milk in bottles must 

 be. Since the methods of handling milk by the raw milk dealers do not 

 subtract in any degree from the numbers of bacteria contained in the 

 cans received at the railroad ; but, as a matter of fact, all of the processes 

 of handling by the raw milk dealer necessarily add considerable numbers 

 to the bacteria contained in the cans, the numbers of bacteria in the raw 

 milk sold in bottles will be just as large and in many cases larger than 

 were found in the canned milk as received at the railroad platforms. 



PASTEURIZATION 



Since the year 1900 when Nathan Strauss stood almost alone in 

 openly advocating the pasteurization of all milk as a measure of public 

 safety, there has been a steady growth of sentiment in favor of pasteuriza- 

 tion, so that now the majority of the members of the medical profession 

 who formerly opposed this measure have been won over to its favor. In 

 like manner, practically every health officer of every large city in the 

 United States and Canada, as well as in Europe, openly advocates pas- 

 teurization. 



The National Commission on Milk Standards, chosen by the New 

 York Milk Committee from the leading public health authorities in the 

 United States and Canada, in 1912 at an official meeting passed the fol- 

 lowing resolution: 



"The Commission thinks that pasteurization is necessary for all milk at all 

 times, excepting certified milk, or its equivalent. The majority of the commis- 

 sioners voted in favor of the pasteurization of all milk, including certified. Since 

 this was not unanimous, the Qommission recommends that the pasteurization of 

 certified milk be optional." 



