SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
791 
- a matter concerning the health of any people. He thus has 
representative men to reinforce his decisions. Again, it is not 
a question of politics, but of efficiency, and should be removed 
, from politics. Next, he should receive a salary commensurate 
' with his services, and devote his time to the work along with 
other duties that will properly come within his province. If 
not an actual member of the Board of Health, he should be the 
sanitary adviser to the Board in all matters connected with the 
meat and milk supply. 
The municipal control of the milk supply in cities and vil¬ 
lages is one of the necessities of the times if we wish to keep 
disease from doing its deadly work. The present conditions of 
j the milk industry are well known to but few. Milk inspection 
.should be so controlled that all products from the dairy to the 
consumer should have the most careful scrutiny and intelligent 
|i^ observation, to the end that in so far as is possible only pure 
milk will be sold. One has said “ that such measures are justi¬ 
fied'by the existence of a series of conditions which menace 
the healthfulness of the product from source to its distribution. 
By the fact that it is the most important article of human diet¬ 
ary from infancy to age under all conditions ; that from prop¬ 
erties peculiar to it, it is most susceptible to contaminating 
influences, including bacierial growth ; and, finally, by the fact 
that notwithstanding its relationship to certain diseases, and 
especially tuberculosis, the state or health authorities are woe¬ 
fully apathetic or negligent in their attitude toward it.” 
That milk is the vehicle by which disease may be trans¬ 
mitted is a well established fact in the minds of all educated 
men, both in the medical and veterinary professions. Dr. Gill, of 
the New York Veterinary College, says : “ Milk is unfit for food 
under several conditions. When derived from animals in condi- 
‘ tions unfit to furnish milk, as certain physiological conditions 
like advanced pregnancy 'or the calving period. 
“ b. When it contains infectious matter. 
“ <r. When adulterated.” 
' ' Adulteration mav consist in the addition of some substance 
to the milk, as water or coloring matters; the subtraction of 
some constituent like cream or the addition of/ preservatives 
such as borax, formaldehyde, etc. The determination of adul- 
^ teration obviously lies in the domain of chemistry. As all modern 
veterinarians are taught chemistry thoroughly, and its relation to 
^ milk inspection, they can be of invaluable assistance to the health 
T authorities. 
