MILK COMMISSIONS. 157 



tered it in the Patent Office. Th-e original certified dairy has 

 prospered and to-day is one of the largest sanitary dairies in 

 the country. The idea of milk certification spread slowly at 

 first, but now about forty milk commissions are scattered over 

 the country (l, 2, 7, 8, 12). 



Associatioii of milk commissions. For purposes of mutual 

 benefit, the various commissions have formed an association 

 under the name of The American Association of Medical Milk 

 Commissions. The original purposes of the association are 

 best defined by Article II of its con.stitution (1) : 



"The purpose of this Association shall be to federate- and brinj; into 

 one compact association the Medical Milk Commissions of the United 

 States; to exchange views and to adopt uniform methods of procedure 

 in the work of the Medical Milk Commission ; to fix chemical and bac- 

 teriologic .standards ; to determine the scope of medical and veterinar\ 

 inspections, and to foster and encourage the establishment of Medical 

 Milk Commissions in other cities," 



During the two yearw of the existence of the association, it 

 has abundantly fulfilled expectations. 



Source oj authority . A milk conmiission should derive its 

 authority from a regularly constituted medical societ\' b>' whom 

 it is appointed and to whom it is responsible. The majorits' 

 of the membership should be physicians, and the commission 

 should be a strictly medical organization with professional 

 objects for the i)ublic good. It is quite a general practice to 

 appoint a minority of lay members on commissions in order to 

 afford represen1;ation for civic bodies prominently identified 

 with the clean milk movement. Exceptions as to the appoint- 

 ing body have occurred in the case of milk commissions ema- 

 nating from civic bodies. For instance, the pioneer milk com- 

 mission in California was established by a woman's club. It is 

 well, however, to adhere to a county medical society as a 

 source of authority in order to preserve a sharp distinction 

 between the legitimate and the illegitimate. 



J-'ield of milk commission activities. A'milk commission is 

 not designed necessarily to invade the field of ordinary muni- 

 cipal milk inspection, although some schemes for such milk 

 inspection recognize milk commission work. The commission 



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