IMPURE MILK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10767, 13 May 1913, Page 4

IMPURE MILK.

' HOSPITAL BOARD INDICTS CITY HERDS. A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. "I do not think we need have any hesitation in taking milk with our porridge in the morning," said the Mayor last night in expressing his complete reassurance regarding the state of the milk supplies of Cl)ristchureh. He was referring at the time to the lecture of Dr Champtaloup on the subject of "Bacteria." He said that the lecturer had stated that of 400 samples of milk tested in New Zealand none had been found to contain live germs, a fact which was largely attributable to the action of the Stock Department in condemning cows before the disease reached a stago when it would affect the milk. The reassuring tone of the Mayor was not sustained by a letter read a few minutes afterwards from the Hospital Board, although the Mayor explained that the letter had been penned before Dr Champtaloup's lecture. The letter stated that the Board had decided to stipulate that all milk supplied to the institutions under its control must be from herds certified free from tuberculosis. As the result of the test, one contractor had had eighteen cows condemned out of eighty, and another eleven out of twenty-nine. The tests appeared to disclose widespread disease among the dairy herds supplying Christchureh residents with milk, and the Board urged the Council to take steps to ensure that milk vended in tho city and suburbs should be supplied from tested cows only. Tho letter was referred to the Public Health Committee.