304 THE MILK SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 



most dangerous foods possible, being responsible for a large part of the bowel 

 troubles of babies and for the death of very many of them. The chief means 

 by which milk is made dangerous are (1) dirty methods of keeping and milk- 

 ing the cows, dirty milkers, and dirty milk vessels; (2) failure to cool the milk 

 promptly and keep it cool until used; and (3) keeping the milk too long before 

 it is used. 



Bad milk, therefore, so far as danger to health is concerned, is dirty milk or 

 warm, stale milk. 



The Board of Health of Detroit is doing everything in its power to make the 

 milk supply of this city all that it should be from a sanitary and chemical 

 standpoint, and the dairymen are actively responding to our efforts. Nearly 

 all of the undesirable dealers have been forced out of business. 



But it is not sufficient that the milk be clean and pure when delivered to you. 

 Unless the proper care is taken in your own home after the milk is received 

 you will not have good milk in spite of our efforts and the work of the dairymen. 

 It is therefore important that you should carefully follow the instructions given 

 in this circular not just to-day, but every day, the whole year round. In the 

 home, as on the farm and in the city dairy, cleanliness and cold are the two 

 essentials in the securing of wholesome milk. All vessels used for milk should 

 be thoroughly cleansed as soon as empty, using first clean, cold water for rins- 

 ing, and then scalding them with hot water containing a small amount of 

 washing soda or borax. After thorough washing, the vessels should be rinsed 

 with clean water and then well aired and sunned in some place where they 

 will be protected from dust. 



If your milkman delivers his milk in sealed bottles, see that he does not leave 

 these in a place where they will be exposed to the heat of the sun before being 

 brought into the house. They should be taken in as soon as possible and placed 

 at once in the refrigerator until used. As soon as you have emptied a bottle, 

 wash it out carefully. Do not return to your milkman bottles containing stale 

 milk. Milk quickly absorbs odors from surrounding substances. After using 

 part of the milk, always replace the cap before returning the bottle to the ice 

 box. 



If you are getting bottled milk, and a case of typhoid fever or other " catch- 

 ing" disease breaks out in your house, you should tell your milkman at once, 

 and he should not take away any milk bottles from your house until after the 

 case has gotten well, as one of these bottles might otherwise be the means of 

 carrying the disease to. other houses. We will instruct the milkmen what to 

 do in such cases. 



If you are getting milk in bulk and not in bottles, it is best to have the milk- 

 man deliver it directly to you or your servant, and you should see that it is 

 put on ice immedia'tely and kept cold. The practice of putting out an uncovered 

 pitcher or other vessel for milk the night before can not be too strongly con- 

 demned. Such a pitcher or vessel, exposed to the dust and dirt of the street, 

 will collect thousands of germs before the milk is put into it. Many of these 

 may be dangerous to life and health, besides which they will certainly cause 

 the milk to sour in a short time and become unfit for use. The purest milk 

 received in snch a vessel may become as bad in a few hours as the worst milk 

 from a dirty farm. 



If you wish to stand out a vessel to receive your milk, provide yourself with 

 several glass preserve jars, which should be used for this purpose only. They 

 should be kept well washed and aired as above described. Get jars with clamp 

 tops. Those with screw tops are hard to keep properly cleansed. Do not use 

 the rubber ring which comes with most jars, as it is difficult to keep clean and 

 the jar will be sufficiently tight without it. Instead of a preserve jar, a bowl 

 covered by a plate may be used. A pitcher can not be tightly covered on account 

 of the projecting spout. 



Give your own personal attention to your milk vessels. 



The milkmen of Detroit state that many persons have the idea that if milk 

 is delivered to them warm, this is proof of its being fresh from the cow and 

 hence better. So far from this being true, only by cooling the milk as soon as 

 it is gotten from the cow is it possible to prevent rapid decomposition of the 

 milk in warm weather. The regulations of the board of health (which have 

 been adopted for your benefit) require that all milk sold in Detroit shall be 

 cooled immediately after milking and kept cooled until delivered to you. 



While bad milk is the chief cause of bowel troubles among young infants, it 

 is by no means the only cause. Improper feeding is another cause. Never give 

 anything but milk to a child under 1 year unless advised to do so by your 

 family physician. 



