138 THE MILK QUESTION 



obtain it. Milk does not keep weU. It is, in fact, the most 

 readily decomposable of all our foods. Deterioration pro- 

 gresses from the moment it is drawn from the udder; some- 

 times before. Even when kept very cold, milk undergoes 

 marked changes and finally spoils. 



During the first six or eight hours milk contains a natural 

 preservative which keeps down the bacteria and delays de- 

 composition. This is known as the germicidal property of 

 milk. Hence, if the milk delivered to the household could 

 be twelve or even twenty-four hours old, a great gain 

 would be had and many of the troubles of the producer 

 and complaints of the consumer would vanish. The health 

 officer would also have less to do. 



I have all along emphasized the importance and desir- 

 ability of fresh milk and beUeve that a special effort should 

 be made to have milk supplied to metropolitan centres not 

 over twenty-four hours old. At present the bulk of the 

 market milk of large cities is at least forty-eight hours old, 

 — sometimes older. Stale milk is more than undesirable; 

 it may be dangerous. Health officers should prohibit the 

 sale of stale milk. This, however, is not such an easy task, 

 for it is not possible to determine the age of milk by any 

 known test. But the facts may be learned from an intelli- 

 gent system of inspection. 



In times of strikes, of local milk famines, and for other 

 reasons, milk contractors sometimes get a supply from 

 unusually distant points. Such milk may be four or six 

 days old when delivered to the consumer. To keep that 

 long, it must be pasteurized twice. This should never be 

 allowed except in a real emergency, and then with full and 

 frank admission to the public. It pays to take the pubUc 

 into the confidence of the farmer and contractor and the 

 health officer. 



Smaller towns have a great advantage in that they are 

 able to obtain a fresh milk supply within wagon-haul at 

 least once, and in special cases twice, a day. The problem 



