The New York Times/1916/11/22/Defends Pasteurization
DEFENDS PASTEURIZATION.
Dr. Brown Declares Milk Standard Should Not Be Lowered.
The Wicks Legislative Committee, which began yesterday its New York City investigation of the distribution of farm products to determine whether money was wasted in handling them, was told by the Department of Health that the city would not countenance any attempt to lessen the restrictions it throws around its milk supply. In reply to a question as to whether pasteurization would not purify milk at present branded impure under the standards of the department, Dr. Lucius P. Brown, Director of the Bureau of Food and Drugs, said:
“Pasteurization kills the tuberculosis germs, but we must not pasteurize an impure milk supply.”
After the session yesterday Senator Wicks, Chairman of the committee, said he was not trying to show that pasteurization was not necessary, but that the people of the city had the best milk supply in the world, and should not mind paying for it.
Mr. Brown told the committee the powers of the Health Department were very broad, that it practically made its own laws as to the importation and sale of food in the city, and enforced them. He said the department had little trouble with the adulteration of milk by the addition of water, but that consumers are sometimes fooled with cream that has been treated with sucrate of lime.
In reply to questions, he said that pasteurization could never be given up. He told of the reduction in the death rate since pasteurization was inaugurated in 1914. In 1913 the maximum number of typhoid cases reported in one week was 340. In 1914 after pasteurization went into effect, the number fell to 130. In 1915, the largest number of cases in a week was 145. New York got milk from five or six states, Mr. Brown said, and Michigan was planning to send cream to New York. He said 40,000 to 50,000 farms supplied milk to this city.
The shortage of Milk Inspectors was emphasized by Mr. Brown. He said the whole milk inspection of the city was done by thirty-two inspectors, whereas there should be 140 or more. The hearing will continue at 10 o’clock this morning.