64 MILK AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH chap. 



Goler, Health Officer of Eochester, U.S.A., who has done 

 aluable work in improving the milk supply of Eochester, 

 city of about 185,000 inhabitants, remarks : ^ 



The Eochester milk work had its beginning in the summer of 

 897, when during July and August we began to establish summer 

 hlk stations, where milk put up in nursing bottles could be bought 

 t a nominal price. . . . For the whole period of years from 1888 to 

 896 there were 6629 deaths in children under five years of age. 

 'or a similar nine-year period, from 1897 to 1905, there were 4403 

 eaths in children under five years of age, a diminution of over 

 per cent. These deaths represent all the deaths from all causes, 

 nd not merely those from intestinal diseases alone. 



Taking the deaths in July and August, he finds — 



Total deaths under five years, July and August, first period, 

 line years without municipal milk stations = 2005. 



Total deaths under five years, July and August, second period, 

 line years with municipal milk stations = 1000. 



Toler works upon the belief — 



. that most babies become sick because they are infected by the 

 lacteria and poisons of stable manure contained in dirty milk, and 

 hat to keep children well it is necessary to protect them from the 

 lirt in milk just as much as we would protect them from diphtheria 

 ir scarlet fever infections. 



Goler, in another paper,^ gives the interesting Chart repro- 

 luced on the next page. It does not, of course, prove any re- 

 ationship between the death-rate and the bacterial count, but 

 -he close association is interesting, and at least suggests that 

 ;hey may be related rather than both due to a common cause. 



' Maryland Medical Journal, June 1906. 

 2 Archives of Pediatrics, September 1906. 



[Chart 



