CHAPTER V. 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE MILK SUPPLY. 



When health authorities and the pubUc in general 

 came to realize the close relationship between the milk 

 supply and public health, many plans were suggested for 

 improving the sanitary conditions of the product. 



The inspection and regulation of other food products 

 were provided for many years before any attention was 

 given to milk. 



Inspection of Dairy Farms and of Milk. — Probably 

 the first legislation that pertained to the sale of milk was 

 that enacted in the city of Washington in 1863. As early 

 as 1873, the food inspectors of that city recognized the 

 importance of the inspection of milk not only in the market 

 but at the place of production. This latter point was 

 not emphasized by sanitarians until about twenty years 

 later. The Washington milk law of 1895 was one of the 

 first to provide for a proper inspection and regulation of 

 the milk, supply. This law proposed to begin the milk 

 inspection at the cow and to follow the product as it 

 passed through the hands of the transportation company, 

 the wholesaler and the retailer, to the ultimate consumer. 



This law made it the duty of the health officer of the 

 District of Columbia to enforce regulations to secure 

 proper water supply, drainage, ventilation, air space, 

 floor space, cleaning of all dairies and dairy farms within 

 the District, and the isolation of diseased cattle. No 

 milk could be sold in the District except that coming from 



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