American Agriculturist 
THE FARM PAPER THAT PRINTS THE FARM NEWS 
“Agriculture is the Most Healthful, Most Useful and Most Noble Employment of Man”— Washington 
Reg. II. S. Pat. Off. 
Established 1842 
Volume 112 
For the Week Ending October 6, 1923 
Milk In Its Relation To Public Health 
Millions of Children and Adults Depend Upon this Great Food—A Radio Talk 
E VERY year in the city of New York 
between 135,000 and 140,000 babies 
are born. To these babies, milk is 
just as essential as water or air. Un¬ 
fortunately, the physical condition of some 
of the mothers of these babies is such that 
they are unable to nourish the infants them¬ 
selves. A substitute therefore must be found. 
The nearest substitute that we have for 
mother’s milk is cow’s milk, as the composi¬ 
tion of human milk is qualitatively similar 
to cow’s milk. 
East year, 37,159 babies under two years 
of age were admitted to the baby health sta¬ 
tions conducted by the Department of 
Health, city of New York. Of this number, 
32 per cent were bottlefed or 
breast and bottlefed. This figure . 
will give you an idea of the per¬ 
centage of babies born each year 
that are dependent upon cow’s 
milk in order to live. Between 
the first and second year a baby 
is almost entirely dependent on 
cow’s milk for nourishment. This, 
with the 32 per cent of babies 
born each year that are dependent 
upon cow’s milk plus the babies 
between one and two years of age 
who are also dependent upon 
cow’s milk, you have approxi¬ 
mately 200,000 babies in this 
city who require cow’s milk in 
order that they may live and 
grow. 
Cow’s milk contains practically 
all of the food elements necessary 
for the maintenance of life. Pro¬ 
teins, fats, carbohydrates, vita- 
mines and salts are present in the ■ 
amounts best adapted for the 
young. Milk is also a satisfactory food for 
adults. 
In New York City about three million 
quarts of milk are consumed daily; in other 
words approximately one pint of milk per 
person in the entire city. While this is a 
considerable amount, still the value of 
milk in the dietary is so great that it 
would be of material benefit to the people 
of the city if the figures showed that the 
per capita consumption was one quart per 
person. 
Unfortunately, while milk is our most 
valuable food, it is also.the food which may 
be most easily contaminated and deteriorates 
very rapidly. Milk is an excellent medium 
for the growth of bacteria, and because of the 
way it is handled, it is very easily contami¬ 
nated with disease bearing bacteria. It has 
been definitely proven that the inception of 
epidemics of typhoid fever, diphtheria and 
septic sore throat have been conclusively 
traced to infected milk. Tuberculosis of 
bovine type is also transmissible to children 
under sixteen years of age. It is because of 
these conditions that the Department of 
Health places such stringent and rigid regu¬ 
lations governing the production and hand¬ 
ling of milk. 
Furthermore, it is because of these con- 
By DR. FRANK G. MONAGHAN 
Commissioner, Department of Health, 
City of New York 
ditions that pasteurization is required. Pas¬ 
teurization of milk is merely the heating of 
milk to a certain temperature so as to de¬ 
stroy the disease bearing bacteria. The 
effect of proper pasteurization upon the nu¬ 
tritive quality of milk is so slight as to be 
almost negligible. 
The milk which New York City consumes 
is produced on 40,000 farms located in seven 
different States. Unless strict supervision is 
maintained, it is possible for a case of typhoid 
fever on one farm to contaminate the milk 
There Is No Milk Substitute 
T HE article on this page by Dr. Frank J. Monaghan, Commissioner 
of the Department of Health of New York City, will do both 
consumers and dairymen an immense amount of good. It was broad¬ 
cast from WEAF station on Wednesday evening, September 26, at 
6:50 P. M., standard time. Many thousands of city people as well as 
country folks heard it over the radio. 
Statements like these giving the plain facts about dairying and 
milk, coming from such an eminent authority as Dr. Monaghan, will 
encourage many thousands of people to increase their use of milk. Let 
us not forget also that the first place where milk should be used in 
large quantities is in the farm family. 
By the way, if you have a radio, or if your neighbor has one, you 
are missing a treat if you are not tuning in Wednesday evenings, 
at 6:50 P. M., standard time, on station WEAF, to hear some of the 
best farm speakers to be obtained in America.—The Editors, 
and thus spreading this disease to several 
hundred persons in the city. 
In order to produce milk and cream which 
is safe for human consumption, the farmer 
has to give considerable care and attention 
to the actual handling of milk. It is here 
that the bond between the farmers and con¬ 
sumers first becomes apparent. The people 
in the city are dependent upon the dairy 
farmer for their milk supply, and to a certain 
percentage of our population is essential to 
life. The dairy farmer on the other hand is 
dependent upon the people in the city for a 
market to sell his milk. In order to produce 
a milk which is wholesome and clean the 
farmer must first obtain his milk from cows 
that are healthy, and to be certain that his 
cows are in good condition, the farmer has 
to call in a veterinarian each year to have 
these cows physically examined. 
The farmer must provide a cow barn or 
stable which is properly lighted, properly 
ventilated and of sufficient size to provide 
sufficient air space for the cows which are 
housed therein. The milking must be done 
under extremely cleanly conditions; only 
pails and cans which have been sterilized 
must be used for holding milk, and after 
milking, it must be promptly cooled to a 
temperature of 50 degrees F. Unless this is 
done, the bacteria present in milk will rapidly 
multiply and not only may the milk become 
dangerous, but will also deteriorate very 
rapidly. 
A cow is milked twice a day, morning and 
night. The farmer can only deliver his milk 
in most instances to the creamery or..shipping 
point once a day. This means that he must 
store the night’s, milk until the following 
morning when he delivers the milk of the 
previous night and the milk of that morning 
to the creamery or shipping point. In stor¬ 
ing this milk, the farmer has to provide ice 
so that the milk will be kept at a proper 
temperature. 
All of these conditions are factors which 
the farmer must give attention 
■ ■ ■- to and factors which affect the 
cost of producing a quart of 
milk. 
In the East, the farmers can¬ 
not grow sufficient food for their 
cattle and they are therefore re¬ 
quired to buy a considerable 
amount which is given to the 
cow. 
Naturally if the cow is to be 
healthy and is to give a good 
flow of milk, she must be given 
substantial and well-balanced 
food. This is another item which 
adds to the cost of producing 
milk. 
These are facts which it would 
be well for the city dweller to 
consider concerning milk. 
Our slogan, therefore, should be 
a quart of milk for every person. 
If we were to actually do this we 
— would not only improve our health 
but we would help to improve the 
agricultural conditions, of our country. 
There is no substitute for milk. Drink 
plenty of it if you desire good health. 
* * * 
In connection with the above address by 
Dr. Monaghan, it is interesting to compare 
the per capita consumption of dairy products 
in the United States with other countries. 
For instance, the per capita consumption 
of whole milk per year in Denmark is ap¬ 
proximately 274 quarts; in Sweden, 278.8 
quarts; in Switzerland, 269.6 quarts; in Ger¬ 
many, 244 quarts; in Belgium, 176 quarts; 
in United States, 172 quarts. The yearly 
consumption of butter per capita in Australia 
is approximately 25 pounds; New Zealand, 
21 pounds; Denmark, 19 pounds; in the 
United Kingdom, 17 pounds; in the United 
States, 15 pounds. The yearly per capita 
consumption of cheese in Switzerland is ap¬ 
proximately 26 pounds; in the Netherlands, 
13 pounds; in Denmark, 12 pounds; in the 
United Kingdom, 11 pounds; in Germany, 9 
pounds; in France, 8 pounds; in Norway, 7 
pounds; in the United States, about 4 pounds. 
These figures show the tremendous possi¬ 
bilities both to the health of consumers and 
the finances of dairymen in using every 
means possible to increase the consumption 
of dairy products in this country. 
