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8
1. That local purveyors should be asked to undertake to
provide the specially.prepared milk and supply it as at Battersea,
the manufacture being supervised by an Officer of the District
Council concerned.
2. That local associations having a philanthropic basis
should be asked to undertake the manufacture and distribution,
under similar supervision.
3. That, if West Ham should establish a depot, arrangements
might be made, at least for a time, for a certain quantity of
the milk to be provided for adjoining districts.
There is no doubt that the milk could be more economically
prepared at one large central station than at several smaller ones, but
the cost of distribution would be greatly enhanced. Estimates which
have been furnished to Dr. Thresh show that a small depot could be
established, and provided with the necessary sterilizing apparatus,
bottles, baskets, etc., for about £200; and in this case there would
be no expense for distribution. A large central station, capable of
supplying milk to several branches, might cost £500 for apparatus,
etc. ; but besides this. horses and vans would be required for distributing.
Probably, therefore, small local depots would be more
economical.
If in each district a milk purveyor of known standing could be
prevailed upon to provide the necessary apparatus, and undertake to
prepare the milk under the supervision of the Medical Officer of
Health, it seems probable that he would ultimately find it remunerative.
Many institutions might be glad to arrange for daily supplies,
and medical men would largely recommend a milk having this
official guarantee.
It is most essential that something should be done, and that as
soon as possible, if for no other reason, because no article of diet is
so intimately connected with health as milk. It stands alone among
the great staple foodstuffs in three respects:—(1) It is consumed by
all from the youngest to the oldest; (2) It is the principal, and often
the only, form of nourishment taken by the very young and the sick ;
(3) It is the only food of first.rate importance that is habitually consumed
uncooked. These facts place it in a unique position, and fully
explain the increasing attention directed to it by the advance of
knowledge, and particularly by the comparatively recent science of
bacteriology. From experiments made in St. Petersburg some remarkable
results have been obtained. "Farmhouse milk" was found
to contain, roughly, from half a million to ten million bacteria,
"creamery milk" from four million to eleven hundred million, and
"milk delivered at house" from ten to eighty.two million bacteria