478 THE CONTROL OF THE MILK SUPPLY 



Milk legrislation in the British Colonies 



The present position of the law in the British Colonies is perhaps 

 more advanced than anywhere else in the world, though in all proba- 

 bility the law is not more thoroughly administered than in Great 

 Britain. A study of colonial legislation for the protection of milk is 

 of interest, and we may suitably pass from the United States of 

 America to Canada. In Ontario power is given under various Acts ^ 

 for the enforcement of bye-laws for the regular inspection of byres, 

 dairies, and milch cows, and also for periodical testing with tuberculin. 

 Each animal found healthy is numbered, and any animal found 

 diseased or giving a reaction to tuberculin, is at once removed and 

 its milk disallowed for consumption. The province of Quebec 

 obtained similar power in 1891, and by means of regulations under 

 the Act lays down definite sanitary conditions for byres and milk- 

 shops.^ Winnipeg in Manitoba passed very stringent bye-laws in 

 1896 for dealing with the milk trade, bye-laws far in advance of 

 anything in towns of the same size (population 50,000) in England. 

 These bye-laws include — {a) registration of all milk vendors ; {b) 

 veterinary inspection of all milch cows ; {c) systematic inspection 

 of all premises used in the milk trade ; {(T) a universal tuberculin 

 test ; {/) strict and thorough sanitation ; (/") absolute veto as 

 regards withholding license until bye-laws are strictly carried out.^ 

 British Columbia and cities like Victoria and Vancouver have 

 similar powers. 



Nor is the matter of legislation for the protection of the milk 

 trade any less advanced in the Australian colonies. Indeed, the 



than sixty days prior to the time they are brought into the city), the place 

 of examination, the temperature of the cow or cows, at intervals of three hours, 

 for twelve hours before the subcutaneous injection of the tuberculin, the 

 preparation of tuberculin used, the location of the injection, the quantity 

 injected, the temperature at the tenth hour after the injection of the tuberculin, 

 and every three hours after the aforesaid tenth hour for twelve hours, or till 

 the reaction is complete. No cow with a certificate which stated that said 

 cow gave a reaction of 2° F. after the injection with 0-5 c.c. of the tuber- 

 culin prepared by the Department of Health of the City of New York (or its 

 equivalent), diluted with ten times its volume of a 0-5 per cent, watery solution of 

 carbolic acid, shall be brought into the City of New York. — Sanitary Code of 

 New York^ i90o> Sec. 135 (as amended 1899). 



* The Public Health Act, the Animals Contagious Diseases Act, and an Act 

 for the Inspection of Meat and Milk Supplies in Cities and Towns, 1896. 



^ Pubhc Health Act, 1896, and Special Bye-laws, 1891. 



^ Bye-law No. 1776 for the Licensing and Regulation of Dairies, etc., 1896. — 

 See Royal Cojn. Rep., 1898, Appendix, p. 419. 



