NATIONAL HEALTH.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20391, 23 August 1934, Page 18

NATIONAL HEALTH.

Value and Importance of Fresh Milk. The suggestion that the Sunlight League could do much to encourage the consumption of milk by both adults and children with a consequent improvement in national health was made by Mr A. Leslie, of Lincoln College, who addressed a meeting convened bv the League yesterday on the subject of milk. The value of milk through ante- and post-natal influence on the development of the child was beyond question, said Mr Leslie. Representatives of several interested organisations were present and Mr L. F. de Berry presided. Since it was found that bovine tuberculosis could be transmitted to man, great caTe had been taken in milk supply, said Mr Leslie. The cows in New Zealand were relatively free from tuberculosis. Cows supplying milk for towns were regularly tested and the danger of tubercular infection was not great. The low' consumption of milk in New’ Zealand might be due to the cost, lack of appreciation of its dietetic value or insufficient advertising; or it might be that people who worked with milk every day lost faith it and preferred to drink something else. New Zealand had an excellent ‘record in regard to freedom from various diseases. There might, however, be an improvement if more attention were given to stock and such things as the food values of milk. New Zealand had plenty of doctors, dentists and hospitals, but there was a lack of laboratories and veterinarians to do the w T ork referred to. Outside the towns many cows were not tested and it w ? as an unfortunate fact that much milk was produced under unhygienic conditions. On a dairy farm there should be water in its three forms—ice, water and steam. Lack of cooling facilities was one of the difficulties on New Zealand dairy farms. After Mr Leslife had answered several questions, the meeting decided that delegates present should report back to their organisations to seek support for a further meeting to be convened by the Sunlight League with the object of stimulating the production and consumption of good milk.