146 THE MILK QUESTION 



ferment for good which, through agitation, education, 

 legislation, and other proper means, helps to improve the 

 general public supply, so as to raise it towards the "certi- 

 fied" or "honor" class. 



It has been found that the establishment of a medical 

 milk commission and the production of certified milk is an 

 excellent stimulus for the betterment of the general milk 

 supply. As an example we may cite the experience of the 

 Cincinnati Commission, which was appointed in May, 

 1906. At that time the conditions surrounding the milk 

 supply were most deplorable. The following statement 

 was made by a member of the commission: "As far as 

 could be learned there was not one quart of clean, whole- 

 some milk safe for infant consumption sold in Cincinnati. 

 It was definitely known, and so stated by government ex- 

 perts, that the general milk supply was the filthiest of any 

 city in the country." Many another city, when it has 

 carefully examined existing conditions, has made the pain- 

 ful discovery that it has the "dirtiest" milk and most un- 

 sanitary milk conditions to be found in our broad land. 

 After the Cincinnati Commission secured a supply of certi- 

 fied milk it persuaded a number of dairymen to produce 

 a second grade of milk for household use, which was desig- 

 nated as "inspected milk." It then waged a campaign to 

 abolish the use of wet distillery wastes in feeding milch 

 cows. This was a vigorous fight which finally ended in 

 victorious legislation. The commission then examined the 

 milk supply of the hospitals of the city and found deplor- 

 able conditions. As a result two hospitals are now using 

 inspected milk exclusively and several other hospitals are 

 using inspected or certified milks in their children's wards. 

 The fearless and vigorous campaign carried on by the milk 

 commission in its pure milk movement had far-reaching 

 results. A definite public opinion was crystallized, and the 

 success obtained led the followers of the clean milk move- 

 ment to demand from the city council a board of health. 



