MILK AND DISEASE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 31, 6 February 1913, Page 10

MILK AND DISEASE

COWS AND DAIRYMEN THE DANGER OF FILTH. In oddilion to the copious extracts polished by The Post, the report of tho conference on tuberculosis has muck valuable information in the minutes of the meetings. TUBERCULAR UDDEES. One day the Hon. Dr. Collins stated that it had often occurred to him whether the pasteurisation of iill the milk supplied to individuals would have any effect ia reducing the amount of consumption, but for many reasons he thought it would be inadvisable to adopt such a plan. If it were possible to get a pure milk-supply it would be very much more desirable. He had seen it demonstrated that a herd could be so cleansed by repeated tuberculin testa that no pigs or calves fed from the milk of these cows got tuberculosis. It was also a fact that pigs and calves get tuberculosis trom the by-products of dairies, and that the sterilising of theae by-products had reduced the amount of tuberculosis in calves and pigsj and lie thought that by a further process of eliminating all tubercular cattle from the dairy herds it would be possible after a time to get a pure milk-supply which would be absolutely safe for the people. He felt sure that if a campaign could be initiated to eliminate all cows with tubercular udders — in the first instance, in the larger districts at any rate — a very great advance 1 would be made ; and the next thing would be the elimination from the herds of dows which were obviously ill. With regard to the supply of milk from certified' dairies, Dr. Collins thought this a very good idea. He considered, however, that it would tend to cause a rush by the public on a particular dairy; though he was inclined to think that the average person, who would not go within a quarter of a mile of a consumptive patient, would hesitate to take advantage of a pure milk-supply if the- milk cost a little more. But what would happen if there was a TU6h on the dairy would be that, unless the owners were very honest people, they would supplement their supply from other _ sources, and the people .would not be getting what they "wore paying for. He considered it an excellent idea to start by supplying institutions with milk from certified dairies, and thus educate the_ public. The Chairman (Dr. Valintine) said that it would, of course, be very necessary to have these dairies under very close and constant supervision. Mr. Keakes stated, in connection with the point raised by Dr. Collins with regard to the elimination of all cows with tubercular udders, that one point that Avas always insisted upon by himself and his supervising officers was that when examining cows the inspectors should make a vei'y thorough inspection of the udders, and if a cow were \ ndoubtedly. tubercular it was at once condemned and destroyed — no risks were taken; and if it had any abnormality of the udder at all the cow Avas always tested for tuberculosis. This especially referred to toAvn and city milk-supplies. He pointed out that tlie inspection of the cows. avlioso milk wais consumed directly by the public as milk Avas Aery much more comprehensive than the inspection of the cows supplying dairy factories ; this being a matter of ways and means. He thought it ' would be very difficult indeed to find any cow with udder tuberculosis at tho present time. At the same lime, however, he believed ifc Avas possible (though not common) for a cow to yield tubercular milk AVithout haying a tubercular udder. One factor in disseminating tuberculosis through milk was by accidental contamination of th 3 milk by the faeces of cows. A carelsss dairyman could very easily allow hii milk to become so contaminated. Th.ough it had not been absolutely established, ho Avas strongly of opinion that a considofablo proportion, of New Zealand cows contracted tuberculosis during their first year, and ho considered that if all the dairy factories Avould agree to pasteurise their milk before it passed to tho calves it would mean that each year's generation of calves started life free from infection. FOOD-VALUES. Dr. Makgill asked if Mr, Realces was aware of any information as to the effect of pasteurisation on the food-value of milk. Mr. Reakes replied that he had made a great many enquiries Avith regard to this point, and in practically every case he had been quite satisfied that pasteurised skim-milk, and, even more so, pasteurised skim-Avhey, had, as regards the feeding of calves, proved of greater food-value .than non-pasteurised. Pasteurisation had the effect of rendering the milk absolutely pure from every point of view. Ho thought it was a matter for the medical men to decide as to the food-value of pasteurised milk for human consumption. It Avas resolved : — "That it be a recommendation of the conference that pasteurisation of skim-milk and Avhey be carried out at all dairy factories." The Chairman said he thought an expression pt opinion should be giA'en by the conference as to the advisability of advooating the use of pasteiTrised. milk for human beings. Dr. Hardwick-Smith gave an opinion that it Avas very useful, provided additions were made — live cream, orangejuice, and so on. Dr. Blackmore agreed with this, adding _that there was 110 doubt that pasteurised milk produced scurvy rickets.' HANDLING OF MILK. Dr. Hardwick-Smith drew attention to an instance of ' uncleanliness he had witnessed on the part of a milker in the country. He also stated that a member of his board had spoken very strongly on tho lack of facilities with regard to the storage of milk at railway stations. Replying to a question whether he had any suggestions to make to the conference in the direction of improving the milksupply in connection Avith conveyance, storage, or distribution, Mr. Reakes said that, taking the point of the health of the cattle first, so far as he Avas concerned, he of course intended to continue his present policy and extend it as much as possible. In his opinion it was a question as to Avhether it Avas Avorth while dealing Avith matters even more thoroughly than at present from the point of vieAv of accidental contamination right from the time of collection at tho farm. He knew the Health Department did a very great deal to help in this direction, but he thought it might be to the advantage of every one concerned if that work Avere amplified to some extent m the direction of doing everything possible to make tho milk-vendors more careful in preventing contamination of their milk. During the year 1911-12 the bullocks and heifers examined (according to the meat returns) totalled 105.356, and 5180 (4.91 per cent.) were found affected with tuberculosis in varying degrees. The percentage for coavs Avas 12.20 (5295 out of 43,395 examined).