FILTH AS infants' FOOD 101 



coated with filth. ... I was horrified to see the 

 filthy state of the milk as it flowed out of his pail. 

 It was discolored with grit, hairs, and manure. ' Look 

 at that,' I said, pointing to a specially large bit of 

 manure. I regretted my zeal, for Tom dipped his 

 whole hand into the pail, and, as he brought it out 

 said, ' Oh, that ain't nothing ; it's only off the cow ' !"* 

 The English Local Government Board issued, in 

 1904, a report on the sanitary conditions of cow sheds 

 and dairies in Ireland, which enumerated very similar 

 evils to those described above." It may be taken 

 for granted that the great majority of milk producers, 

 dealers, and retailers know so little as to amount to 

 practically nothing at all of the nature of milk and 

 the extremely grave perils which result from its 

 careless and improper handling. And yet, as Dr. 

 F. Lawson Dodd has pointed out,^^ such knowledge 

 is essential to the public safety. In some of the 

 states the plumber has to pass an examination and 

 obtain a certificate before he is allowed to pursue 

 his calling, it being realized that ignorance on the 

 part of a plumber may endanger many lives. Doubt- 

 less this is a wise provision, a safeguard few persons 

 of intelligence would desire to remove ; but what of 

 the dangers to which we are exposed when the 

 dairyman and the milk vendor are ignorant? That 

 these are far greater and more numerous is certain, 

 but I know of no state which requires that a milk 



