THE COW IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 27 



human family, but it decomposes very rapidly ; 

 and, besides, there are many people who are 

 so unscrupulous as to adulterate it in various 

 ways. By careful observations and tests, 

 methods have been perfected by which these 

 frauds may be detected. 



It was formerly thought that anything to 

 be of any value concerning the public health 

 must come from the regular medical practi- 

 tioner, but the recent advances in comparative 

 pathology and therapeutics have taught the 

 people that the individual who has had special 

 training along such lines is the individual that 

 is best prepared to handle the situation, and 

 for this reason the veterinarian is better fitted 

 to handle the inspection of milk than any 

 other because he has had special training in 

 the diseases of the domestic animals and dis- 

 eased conditions that may result from the con- 

 sumption of some of their food products. 



In the production of milk for human con- 

 sumption, the very first act is a violation of 

 Nature's law. Nature intended that the young 

 of those animals who nourished their young 

 with milk should draw the milk directly from 

 the udder. Milk in being drav/n by hand or 

 any other artificial means for the use of those 

 who may use it for food is sure to undergo 

 more or less contamination; the dirt and bac- 

 teria on the teats, the loose hairs on the body, 

 the dandruff from the skin, the particles of 

 dust in the air from dusty fodder and hay, 



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