View report page

94
milk-shops in various parts of London. Exactly which milk
reaches each milk-shop is not known to the contractor or anybody
else. What is known is that it is at least 12 hours old, and some of
it 18 hours old. A certain quantity, sometimes the whole supply,
is taken from the railway stations to the depot of the contractor,
from which it is distributed to various districts. But in any case it
has not reached its destination. For much of it is retailed (sometimes
twice over) in small quantities to small shops which, whilst
selling lamp oil, soap, pickles, candles, bacon, boot blacking or
toffee, also deal in a few quarts of milk. And so from hand to hand
the milk passes, and under some circumstances does not reach the
consumer until 24 hours after being drawn from the cow.
The milk trade is now a very complex one, largely owing to the
growth of the towns. Instead of a man owning his own cows or
obtaining his necessary milk from neighbours in small quantities as
required, it is now necessary to transport milk long distances in
large quantities. Thus there has arisen the opportunity, or necessity,
for the milk contractor. He is the middle man between the farmer
and the milk-vendor.
Frequently one contractor will supply 30 or more shops, deriving
his milk from as many farms. This adds very much to the
complexity of the trade.
The Condition of Country Cowsheds.—The long period of transit
and the opportunities of contamination of the milk which thereby
occur is not, however, the only fact to be borne in mind. There
is the further question of the condition of the farms and cowsheds
from which the milk is obtained.
The sources of pollution of milk are various, and depend upon
many minor circumstances and conditions. But for all practical
purposes there are four chief opportunities between the cow and the
consumer when milk may become contaminated.
1. At the farm.
2. During transit to the milkshop.
3. After arrival in the shop.
4. At the home of the consumer.