HEALTH NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 80, 15 October 1928, Page 17

HEALTH NOTES

.: ;. ■ .1.. i ♦ . i - J; : : MILK" '■ ■!. AN ESSENTIAL FOOD ■(Contributed'- b.y tha Department of :;.;, ■■ ' , :■■ 'Health.) - ; kilk 5s gin1 l^cst all-round food lio* cause it contains in itself.VH the com-; ponents of a completo dietary, and is . produced in nature solely for tho purrpbsp of serving as a food. It lias in .(Substantial amounts representatives of, tho. threp essential, types of foodstuffs, -vizij;.]>roteins, carbo-hydrates, and fats.:, "in.iddition, it is particularly rich in matter, and is by no means lacking in vitamins or "accessory food factors." Certain writers, claim that the races and nations of men which have donemost in the development of the world,, and havp shown tho greatest physical strength and vigour are tlioso which have depended to the largest extent on milk and dairy products for their food. Therefore tire importance of a plentiful and .wholesome supply of this artiolo of diet cannot bo ovw-estiniated. Also milk i? one of the .most popular foods.'." Tho housewife finds it indispensable in the preparation,,of food for the family. The dairy farmer makes it into butter, checso, and other nutri-tious-milk products essential for the siippo'rt pf life. Another important merit of milk is Its readiness for use. Tl>6re" aro .many fopcls that can be put ■oii'tlievtabib with littlo or no prepani-,tion,'-.each of them useful fpr ono purpose. But milk is the onlyi all-purpose ■fbbVrtliat comes to us roadyfor use and •requires no preparation. ■ - . .-..Jklilfc is suitable.for' grown /people as ..w'qjl as for children, and .holps to ,go"cui'e an e.flicipht.and .well-balanced ja,: tion. .^-.Tji'e>:daily amount best suited .jto'^yMu^ividual naturally varies with' ■ihceampi\i)t/?infl!kind ?f other food he itnkes. THE .SAFE, PLAN. Speaking generally, however, the safe plan is to drink plenty of milk and use it freely in cooking. While it is a great help to men and women who want to keep strong and vigorous and youthful, it is especially valuable for the sick and aged. For growing eliil;4yen j* is an absolute necessity. Its 'p'rofeihs. and- its ricli supj>ly of certain vitainifis,,: promote heiilth. If a child gets sufficiejit' milk a day with fresh vegetables) 'fauijs, and some meat, eggs, and cereals, vhp.'iWill. have tho necessary vnrioty to. .give all tho nourish' ment and vitamins lie; needs. However, it should not be used, as-an exclusive diet, except in early infancy. Unfortunately some families give tlieir children tea and coffco instead..'of milk. Tea and coffee are nothing more- than stimulants. They are not' fp'ods'in a true sense. They do not nourish. As stimulants they aro sometimcß Useful to adults, but children aro better; without them./ ■ ■■'■'.■'! Though milk may cost a little more than it used to, so do many other; things, some of which affect its price, ; such as cattle feed, farm labour, and* transportation. But oven so milk ischeap in comparison with other-foods of much lejiSyi/Sutritious vflUie/jVand therefore cutting .down the miftfbill is poor economy..'.;'-';,: ;' CARE ?? MILK IN THE HQME. :' It is obvious that* a food so valuable as milk deserves all the care that can l?e bestowed' upon it, especially as from tho very nature' of' its composi*. tion it is particularly ;fitted to be..a breeding ground fori-pi^anisms. liii view of this, thorefore,;':milk/should be, carefully, handled in the home. ' ! ; Itshould be kept iv tho coolest place available .preferably in some simple /form,of home-made dust-proof cooler. Access of dust should bo avoided, chiefly by ensuring that the is as ,^fr'e^;.ifrpm dust: as.cleanliness can inako ;i|/ :¥;T-he jnilk should .^lways be put '■i^^le^-vyes'^l^j aijug'whichj'has held milk should be'riiised out, first;in cold water and then washed in hot water and soda, and for babies' milk it should certainly beJfinally, scalded with boiling water and placed upside down without dryjng. on a-rack to drain. A good method of .protecting; milk in. jugs': or , bp;tti^s,;is to: Shake net covers''of Iwhite material known as "mosquito netting" cut largo enough to cover the mouths of the different receptacles. To edge : of those circular, pieces -glass beads should be sewn, the weight of which will tighten tho net over the edge. These net covers should be kept scrupulously clean. j „ .... PASTEURISATION. j ■:' The-' germs 'of -disease get iuto^ milk i so easily that some, reliable way to j ;.pSrify:'fcli6; inilfc is essential. Tho'scibu- . tist, Pasteur, who saw the need of an easy,, cheap, and reliable way to destroy 'these "germs, discovered the process now known as pasteurisation. Mijk is heated to.a temperature of .142 to 145 degrees-JEabrenheit,.'.and is.held tbcre; for ,3P ,»iinutes,. a higher temperature -or:si--longer■'time is not' necessary; a -,Jpw.er temperature . or; a shorter time■•: •"may" not kill the harmful bacteria. | Then, after the milk has been heated in J .this manner, it must be'chilled iiumedi-/ ately and kept cold. ! i; Pastetirisatibu;'does not make-poor milk rich .or dirty milk clean, its, only 'object is to destroy injurious germs. It neither harms nor improves the milk ..itself, except that it lessens the amount of anti-scurvy vitamin and destroys in.jurious germs. Except for the slight reduction of anti-scurvy vitamin there is no'more objection to pasteurising milK than there , is to/broiling. beefsteak. The milk remains just as digestible and just as nutritious as raw milk. It still retains also many of tho harmless and hardy forms of bacteria which .continue'to grow and-multiply <so that the milk sours and curdles just as raw milk does although more slowly. can be effected in the home by heating tho milk in a doubleboiler keeping it between 142 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit for three-quarters of an hour. If you have no thormometer bring the milk just to the boiling point to make sure tlio harmful germs are killed, then chill it quickly and keep it "cold, and/covered.