THE BACTERIA OF SOIL, AIR, WATER, ETC. 155 



St. John and Pennington* conclude from their study of the 

 effects of pasteurization of milk, that there is a restraining 

 power in raw milk lasting at least to the curdling point which 

 is destroyed or reduced in milk heated to 79 C. 



Rosenau,! from a consideration of the various statements 

 made in favor of and those which are against pasteurization, 

 comes to the conclusion that heating of milk has certain dis- 

 advantages which should be given due consideration, but since 

 it is the means of saving many lives of children, particularly dur- 

 ing the summer months, pasteurization is to be recommended. 

 The ideal condition would be milk obtained so clean and 

 kept so cold that there would be no necessity for pasteurization, 

 but such conditions are not found in practice. Rosenau 

 does not regard the statement that pastuerization "devitalizes" 

 the milk as having any force or indeed any exact meaning. 

 He does not regard the idea that pasteurized milk is a cause of 

 scurvy as well founded. Under conditions as they exist, the con- 

 sensus of opinion among those best qualified to pronounce upon 

 the subject seems to favor the pasteurization of milk, at least 

 for infant feeding. Theobald Smith J points out that the objec- 

 tion raised by some to pasteurization that it conceals dirt is 

 erroneous for the reason that the bacteria coming from dirt are 

 spore-bearers, and are not killed by pasteurization. Rosenau 

 further states that comparative observations have shown that 

 children thrive quite as well on pasteurized as on raw milk, 

 that pasteurized milk is in fact more easily digested than raw 

 milk. But on the other hand, there are many who object to 

 pasteurization of milk, and the question can hardly yet be 



*St. John and Pennington. Journal oj Infectious Diseases. IV., No. 4, 1907, 



P- 6 55- 



fRosenau. Milk and its Relation to the Public Health. Pasteurization 

 Bulletin 41. Hyg. Lab., U. S. Pub. Health and Mar. Hosp. Serv. Wash., D. C., 

 pp. 589624. 



^Theobald Smith. Am. Journ. Pub. Health and Journ. Mass. Assn. Bds. 

 Health. Vol. 17, 1907, p. 200. Quoted by Rosenau., loc cit. 



