FILTH AS infants' FOOD 111 



value to the statistics cited. It is not necessary to 

 exaggerate the dangers of impure and infected milk. 



It must be very evident that only a small propor- 

 tion of the bacteria in milk can be regarded as actually 

 dangerous, otherwise there would be enough death 

 in a quart of milk to depopulate the nation. When 

 it is said that some of the milk sold in our cities and 

 used for infants' food contains more bacteria than 

 the worst sewage water, serious as such a statement 

 is, it must not be interpreted to mean that sewage 

 water would be better or less dangerous to an infant, 

 that there is more harm in the milk than in the 

 sewage water." Such an interpretation of the state- 

 ment is wholly false and misleading. It is not true 

 that sewage would be less injurious than the milk 

 that contains such astounding numbers of bacteria, 

 for there are important differences in the kinds of 

 bacteria which have to be taken into account. But 

 the figures do warrant the statement that the milk 

 contains a large percentage of matter which ought 

 to have gone into the sewers instead of into the milk 

 pail. Such milk is as dirty as sewage water, but not 

 necessarily as dangerous. 



Now, while it is true that there are many useful 

 bacteria upon which we depend for making cheese 

 and butter, it is a matter of very grave doubt whether 

 these bacteria are useful in milk when it is used as 

 milk for food. It is fairly certain, moreover, that 



