THE MILK SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 47 



This conference was composed not only of scientific and profes- 

 sional men but embraced among its participants, in .addition to 

 officials of the Department of Agriculture and the Public Health and 

 Marine-Hospital Service, representatives of the local producers and 

 dealers in milk for the Washington market, the presiding officers of 

 the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, the Homeopathic 

 Medical Society of Washington, the Veterinary Medical Association 

 of the District of Columbia, the Academy of Sciences of the District 

 of Columbia, the Chemical Society of Washington, the Washington 

 Board of Trade, the Business Men's Association of Washington, and 

 the District Bar Association, as well as a number of other gentlemen 

 interested in the affairs of the National Capital. 



This conference, after a number of meetings, arrived at the follow- 

 ing conclusions : 



That, in order that the milk supply of the District might be pure, it 

 must come from healthy cows properly fed, that are neither about to 

 calve nor have recently calved ; that It must be drawn in a cleanly 

 manner and be promptly cooled ; that all persons engaged in handling 

 it must be free from communicable diseases and be of cleanly habits ; 

 the receptacles into which the milk passes and the utensils and ap- 

 paratus used in handling it must be perfectly clean, and the milk, 

 after having been promptly cooled, must be kept cool until delivered 

 to the consumer. 



The conference recommended that there be recognized by law three 

 grades of milk, namely, (1) certified, (2) inspected, and (3) pas- 

 teurized, the requirements for which are set forth on pages 27-28 of 

 this report. 



The conference further recommended that the District Commis- 

 sioners be empowered to make, on the recommendation of the health 

 officer, such regulations as might be necessary, in their judgment, to 

 safeguard the milk supply of the District; that an adequate force of 

 inspectors be provided; that increased laboratory facilities for the 

 making of chemical and bacteriological analyses of milk and water 

 from dairy farms and other places where milk is handled and sold be 

 authorized ; that, as intimated under the last-named classification of 

 milk, plants be established by private enterprise or otherwise by the 

 District government for the pasteurization of milk under the imme- 

 diate supervision of the health officer; that the health officer be em- 

 powered to suspend and to revoke summarily any license to produce 

 or sell milk in the District of Columbia, and any license to bring milk 

 into the District; that a similar temporary suspension for a period 

 not exceeding 48 hours be authorized to be made by inspectors in the 

 service of the health department ; that all cows on dairy farms pro- 

 ducing milk for the District of Columbia be tagged, tattooed, or 

 otherwise marked for the purpose of identification; that the milk 

 produced for use in the District should either come from cattle free 

 from tuberculosis as shown by the tuberculin test, which test shall be 

 repeated at least once every year, or be subjected to pasteurization 

 under the supervision of the health department in case the herd is not 

 tuberculin tested ; that thereafter no licenses shall be granted to pro- 

 duce milk for use in the District of Columbia unless the herd be found 

 by the tuberculin test to be free from tuberculosis; that the milk of 

 cattle suffering from any disease of the udder or from anthrax, rabies, 

 gastro-enteritis, septic conditions, or showing clinical symptoms of 



