24 BULLETIN 342, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
for infant feeding according to our present knowledge of vitamins, 
and it is therefore quoted: 
The second point in regard to milk lies in the effect of pasteurization. This 
measure is now well-nigh universal and in America at least has played a tre- 
mendous part in the reduction of infant mortality, especially in the summer 
months. At present, however, we know that this treatment while removing 
dangerous germs may also eliminate the antiscorbutie factor. The sensible 
attitude then is to recognize this fact and if a clean whole milk is not available 
retain the pasteurization and meet the vitamin deficiency by other agents. 
Such agents are orange juice and tomato juice, and experience has already 
shown that these juices can be well tolerated by infants much earlier than 
used to be thought possible. 
It seems, therefore, that the only serious effect of pasteurization 
on the vitamins is on the antiscorbutic vitamin C, and it is evident 
that the feeding of orange or tomato juice, or other antiscorbutic, 
readily makes up for the deficiency of this vitamin in pasteurized 
milk. 
THE NECESSITY FOR PASTEURIZATION. 
The need for safeguarding the milk supply is amply proved by 
the numerous epidemics traced to milk. Trask (29) reported 179 
epidemics of typhoid fever from 1881 to 1907, of which 107 were in 
the United States, 51 epidemics of scarlet fever, including 25 in this 
country, during the same period, and 23 epidemics of diphtheria 
from 1879 to 1907, including 15 in the United ‘States. These were 
all traced to milk. He also listed 7 epidemics of sore throat, most 
of which occurred in England. Since 1907 several epidemics of 
septic sore throat have been traced to milk. Among these may be 
mentioned the epidemics at Boston, Chicago, and Baltimore, and 
others which have occurred in smaller cities. 
The problem of pasteurization is not based simply on the question 
of which is preferable, raw or pasteurized milk, but rather upon the 
most economical and practical way of producing a safe milk supply. 
In connection with the possibility of transmission of disease 
through the agency of milk, certain fundamental facts must be 
recognized. 
1. That such possibilities exist as demonstrated by epidemics of the past. 
2. That certain diseases transmitted to man, such as tuberculosis, may come 
from diseased animals. The danger from this source can be prevented by the 
elimination of tuberculous cattle from producing herds on the basis of the 
tuberculin test. 
3. That the freeing of the herds from tuberculosis offers no protection against 
other diseases, as typhoid fever, diphtheria, and septic sore throat, because the 
pathogenic organisms causing these diseases may come from infected water sup- 
plies or probably in most cases from human carriers of disease. 
The term “carriers” is used to designate persons who carry the 
disease-producing bacteria. In the case of diphtheria, carriers har- 
