162 



NATURE 



[August 3, ign 



to awaken all ni once a sustained interest in matters of 



health, but it is practicable during one week in the year 



ecure for them a Fail measure of pubb'c attention. 



Health week" may fittingly start with Health Sunday. 



If the clergy will but awaken and stir the conscience of 

 the nation, and brin" home to all their congregations a 

 si nsi of their personal responsibility for their own health 

 and that of their families and neighbours, the Press and 

 othei agencies for moulding public opinion may be trusted 

 to do the rest. The Press of this country has again and 

 given proof of its readiness to work for the public 

 lealth. <>nl\ a few months ago one of our great papers 

 devoted columns day after day to a campaign against 

 tuberculosis. Still more recently leading journals have 

 taken a strenuous part in the agitation for wholesome 

 bread. 



Our local authorities are largely occupied with health 

 work. I. ei Hum for one week- in the year lake their con- 

 stituents into their confidence. Let them hold one or more 

 publii meetings to discuss the special needs of the town or 

 district, the work already accomplished, and that which 

 still remains to be done. 



" \nd then the schools. Throughout Health Week lei 

 the regular teaching in hygiene be supplemented, at least 

 lor the elder children and their parents, by one or more 

 lectures (rum local medical men — lectures, not crammed 

 with dry scientific facts, but brimful of that romance in 

 which the pages of sanitation abound. 



" 1 would also enlist the aid of the trade unions, the 

 cooperative societies, the friendly societies, th,- funds of 

 which ar.- so cruelly depleted by preventable disease —every 

 body of men, in short, who care for the well-being of their 

 fellow men, and are willing to work for it." 



The difficulties to be overcome should not be under- 

 - mated, but they need not be exaggerated. Hospital 

 Saturday and Hospital Sunday in this country, and Tuber- 

 culosis Sunday in the United States, have shown the way. 

 From small beginnings they have grown into great national 

 institutions; and if the cure of disease has a claim on our 

 sympathy and support, how much the more has ils 

 ition? 



T 



THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL DAIRY 

 CONGRESS. 



HE fifth International Dairy Congress met at Stockholm 

 on June 28, and was closed on Saturday, July 1. 

 I here was a large attendance of members, and some 

 interesting discussions arose on the various subjects con- 

 tained in the programme. 



The meetings were held in the two chambers of the 

 Houses of Parliament, and to facilitate the procedure, the 

 subjects under discussion were divided into two sections. 

 In Section 1 the production of milk was the main subject 

 1 t discussion, whilst in Section 2 attention was directed to 

 the treatment and use of milk-. It is not possible to follow 

 in detail the discussions which took place on practically all 

 ihe subjects which were dealt with by the two sections, so 

 a short account of the questions placed before the congress, 

 rind a risumi of the conclusions or recommendations arrived 

 at, will be given. The first question was on the effect of 

 the different fodders on the quality of milk and dairy 

 products; six reports had been presented, and abstracts 

 published and issued 1,1 member . The discussion of this 

 subject made it clear thai there is still a great deal of 

 uncertainty as to whether or not food can cause an increase 

 of fat in milk. Kellner (Mockern — Leipzig) reported thai 

 Feeding experiments which had been carried out under his 

 proved that tie use ,,f palm-nut cake meal caused 

 .1 rise in the amount of fat in the case of cows with a 

 high milk yield. 



Bi Id (Copenhagen) recalled the experience of Danish 

 Farmers some twelve or fifteen years ago, when it was 

 found that palm-nut cake meal raised the percentage of fat 

 in milk. The rise was not maintained and the use of 

 palm-nut cake mea ] fell. The influence of the season 

 should not be overlooked in these cases, for in some years 

 i-e iii the fat content of milk seemed to be due to 

 this factor. 



Furthei evidence of the possibility of increasing the fat in 

 milk was given i,\ several speakers, and Nils Hansson, in 

 NO. 2179, VOL. 87] 



a ver\ able paper, pointed out that it may 1.- neci 

 to abandon the view that food lias no quantitative infii 

 upon the fat of milk. The part played by foods in 

 influencing the flavour ol milk was discussed, and particu- 

 larly the bacteria from feeding stuffs. The entrance ol 

 organisms into the milk, either directly or indirectly, 

 through faecal matter, was considered important. 



The interest displayed in this subject resulted in a 

 rtsumi being prepared by Martini, Kellner, and (1st, nag, 

 and communicated to the next day's meeting, 

 final conclusions of the congress were that it i- evident 

 from practical observations and from scientific researches, 

 particularly those of Kellner, that certain foods isnci-i an 

 influence upon the quantity of fat in milk in the case of 

 cows having a high milk yield, but that the following 

 questions still need an answer : — (1) From what period does 

 the influence of the food make its, -If felt? (2) To what 

 degree is this influence maintained? (3) Does the addition 

 of certain foods exercise an equal influence upon the 

 quantity of fat? (41 Is the quantity of (at obtained by the 

 us,, ot these specifii foods remunerative? 



The second question dealt with the influence of the 

 different fertilisers on forage plants with regard to the 

 quality of milk and dairy products. Orla Jensen (Copen- 

 hagen 1 jjave an account of a long series ol experiments 

 which he had conducted. The results proved, however, to 

 be largely negative, and in spite of slight and irregular 

 changes in the- milk salts, and the coagulation of the 

 milk, it was concluded that the chemical effect of the 

 fertilisers was very little indeed. The effect of bacteria 

 coming from fodder upon milk, particularly when 

 associated with digestive disturbances, is very considerable 

 and of far-reaching influence, in the making of cheesi 

 particularly. This being the case, the- necessity for the 

 strictest cleanliness in the cowshed and in the dairy, the 

 adequate cooking of the milk, and the retention of healthy 

 cows only, become once more the recommendations of 

 those best fitted to advise. Unfortunately there was little 

 discussion upon this question; in all probability the subject 

 had not been investigated by others. 



The third question dealt with a subject which is much 

 discussed at tin- present time in this country, and the 

 conclusions of the congress as noted below ought to prove 

 conclusively thai we are neglecting one of the best means 

 of improving our milk supplies at practically no cost. The 

 question was as to lite importance of control associations 

 (milk- record societies) for the- production of milk. Benno 

 Martini (Gross Lichterfelde) criticised the manner in which 

 these associations are generally run, and the- conclusions 

 which are often drawn from the results; Inn he agreed 

 to their usefulness in bringing the importance of the car, fill 

 testing of each cow in the herd before the farmer himself, 

 and this in many cases was first don, when a 1 ravelling 

 tester visited the farm. Every other speaker, and they 

 were of all nations, had praise for the control associations, 

 and if any evidence were needed that their operations 

 resulted in th, 1 is, in quantity and quality of milk, it v as 

 furnished in abundance. 



Funde-r (Christiania) reported on a condition of afT.iir- 

 in Norway which somewhat resembles that in England, 

 namely, tin- reluctance of the farmers, especially the 

 smaller ones, to join the associations, and the objection to 

 the travelling tesier staying at the farm. 



Th-- opinion of the- ,,,ne,-,-ss is well expressed in the 

 following resolution, which was passed: — 



" Judging from the good re-sulls obtained in Sweden, 

 Denmark, Germany, Finland, and Austria, the fifth Inter- 

 national Dairy Congress declares that milk record societies 

 exercising a control of the fee-dine of the cows furnish 

 one of ihe- best methods ol raising good animals of a 

 milking strain, and assist in the reduction of the cost of 

 milk. 



"The congress directs attention to the great importance 

 of such control societies in initiating a rational, economical, 

 and balanced mode of feeding, and in propagating the 

 sound experience which has been gained in the keeping 

 of animals." 



Ihe- ve-le-i inoi control of live stock as regards the pro- 

 duction of milk was th,- fourth subject dealt with, and 

 the discussion showed that very strong views w , re held 

 as to the necessity of veterinary inspection of cows. 

 Th, question of the food for rows from which special 



