96 THE MILK SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 



milk, the farmers and those who handle milk which is to be pas- 

 teurized believing that it is unnecessary to be particular, since the 

 dirt that goes into the milk is going to be " cooked " and made harm- 

 less. In opposition to this it should be observed that it is not pro- 

 posed that pasteurization shall take the place of inspection and im- 

 provements in dairy methods, and that, even if pasteurization be 

 adopted, no milk should be accepted that does not comply with 

 reasonable chemical and bacteriological standards. 



It has been further asserted, in objection to pasteurization, that it 

 injures the taste of the milk and increases its cost. Experience 

 dictates, however, that the pure, sweet taste of milk is not appreci- 

 ably affected by pasteurization, and that the cost of pasteurization 

 (including the expense of transporting the milk to and from the 

 pasteurizing plant) is so immaterial as to make this objection unten- 

 able from a practical standpoint. 



It has, moreover, been contended by the opponents of pasteuriza- 

 tion, that it induces scurvy and rickets, but investigations in Ger- 

 many, France, and other countries, where artificial feeding of infants 

 with heated milk is most popular, do not sustain this assertion. 



VIEWS OF DR. H. W. WILEY. 



Dr. Wiley, Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry, United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture, expresses the belief that no milk which has 

 undergone so-called preparation or modification of any kind is as 

 wholesome and nutritious " as the pure article." In his opinion, pas- 

 teurization seriously injures milk in its nutritive value, especially for 

 infants, and milk should never be pasteurized, he says, " except as a 

 choice between two evils." Insanitary milk, if used at all, should, he 

 admits, undoubtedly be pasteurized, though in his view " dirty milk 

 is just as dirty after pasteurization as it was before." He takes the 

 ground that pure, clean, properly handled cow's milk needs no pas- 

 teurization and no modification, and no preparation except as indi- 

 cated in the modifications of milk under proper medical advice for 

 the feeding of infants. He vouchsafes the opinion that large cities 

 (under which designation he expressly includes Washington) might 

 be able to get a much better milk supply (except for infant feeding) 

 than is now afforded by establishing clean, sanitary milk plants in 

 regions devoted to the dairy industry, drying the milk to a powder 

 by one of the modern sanitary processes, and transporting it to the 

 city for speedy consumption. He strongly urges upon every munici- 

 pality the establishment of a milk plant under the direct control of 

 the municipality, where pure, clean, wholesome, unpasteurized, un- 

 modified, and unprepared milk may be kept for the use of infants fed 

 artificially, the plant to include among its appurtenances a modify- 

 ing chamber under the direction of a competent specialist, to modify 

 the pure milk without any other changes to as nearly the composi- 

 tion of fresh mother's milk as possible, or to make special modifica- 

 tions of milk, under the direction of a physician, for those who are 

 diseased. He would go so far, he states, as to make it a penal offense 

 for any person, feeding an infant artificially, to use any other food 

 than that supplied through these central establishments. He advo- 

 cates, as already stated, reducing to a powder milk intended for 

 adult consumption, which, though coming from a distance, can, he 



