Dr. Eastwood's report to the local government board on American methods for the control and improvement of the milk supply.

  • Eastwood, A. (Arthur), 1867-1936
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. Eastwood's report to the local government board on American methods for the control and improvement of the milk supply. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    following regulations affecting the dairy farms and the creameries, or collecting stations which receive and collect milk from individual farms and transfer it to the railway, may he quoted : “ Every creamery or milk station which ships milk or cream, or both, to the City of New York, shall be required, through its agents, to furnish to the Department of Health of the said city on Monday of each week a report stating the existence or non- existence of any one of the following infectious diseases in the households of all persons employed in the collecting or handling of milk, either at the creamery, or at the farms or dairies supplying it ; namely, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria, scarlet fever, dysentery, or any other infectious disease Every creamery or milk station shall require each dairyman or farmer sending milk or cream or both to such creamery or milk station to report in writing on Saturday of each week as to the existence or non-existence of any one of the above-mentioned infectious diseases in the household of every employee in his farm or dairy, who is connected in any way with the care or handling of milk These weekly reports Shall be kept on file at each creamery or milk station for a period of at least six months after their receipt and shall be always open to the inspection of the representatives of the Department of Health.” Then follow rules for the prompt exclusion of all persons suffering from infectious disease, the final regulation being that “ the failure of any creamery or milk station, farm or dairy, to comply with provisions of these resolutions may be considered sufficient cause for the exclusion of such milk or cream from the City of New York. ” During my stay in New York the Authorities in the Depart- ment of Health very kindly explained to me their methods of organisation, and, as I was anxious to see some of the actual work, attached me to inspectors serving for day and for night duty. I was told that the number of permits which have been issued for stores in the City of New York is between twelve and thirteen thousand; and in addition to these there are 4,600 permits issued for wagons. The average daily consumption of milk in the city is estimated at 1,800,000 quarts. A11 inspector took me to one of the poorest districts in the East End of New York where the inhabitants are mostly Jews, ibis inspector has about 700 milk shops in his district and finds that it takes about two months to make a complete round of inspection. The shops are very close together, often next door to each other, and not more than a small amount of milk is sold in each. Ihe inspector told me that the sale is not usually less than half a can (a can contains 10 gallons) and that the average sale is about two cans a day. Formerly there used to be many small shops, mostly Italian, which sold no more than four or five quarts a day, but these have dropped out, no permits bein<>' now granted to them. On my return to the head office I was told that it was hoped to make a further reduction in the number
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