Dr. Starr With U. S. P. H. S.

Dr. E. B. Starr, Springfield director of public health, is on a six month's leave of absence, beginning December 24, during which time he will be in the industrial hygiene division of the United States Public Health Service. Dr. C. G. Augustus, assistant director under Dr. Starr, is serving as acting director. Dr. Augustus has been in the Public Health Service since last August, but has been released to take Dr. Starr's place in Springfield. Dr. Starr is stationed in Washington.

Promotion for Dr. Craven. Dr. Oscar M. Craven, formerly district physician in the Cincinnati health department, has been promoted to chief medical inspector and assistant health officer, which position was held by Health Officer W. H. Peters before the latter's promotion to his present position as successor to the late Dr. J. H. Landis.

Dairy Inspection Favored.

Health officers of the United States are almost unanimously in favor of farm inspection as a method of insuring safe milk supplies, according to a vote taken during the summer of 1918 by the Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, on the question, "Do you consider farm inspection important enough to be continued?" Of the 323 health officers who returned de

cided answers, 309 said, "Yes," and 14 said, "No."

"This does not imply," comments the Bureau, "that inspection should be at the expense of bacteriological and chemical control; but that there should be co-ordination between laboratory control and dairy farm inspection. Which is the more important depends entirely upon local conditions.

"Dairy inspection is of greatest importance in the smaller cities where the bulk of the milk is sold in the raw state. The milk supply might not be large enough to justify compulsory pasteurization; and from a public health standpoint, every safeguard must be thrown about its production and handling, Dairy inspection is especially important in communities where milk control activities are being inaugurated, since the producer must be taught how to produce, handle, and transport milk in a cleanly, safe manner.

"To be satisfactory, the inspection of dairy farms must be carried on by competent inspectors. They should have a practical, sympathetic knowledge of dairy farm. conditions; they should know the essential features in the production and handling of safe and clean milk; and they must be able to distinguish between those factors which make for public health and those having relation to cleanliness or economy of production and handling of the product.

"Dairy inspection has broader meaning than simply looking into

the dairy barn and reporting on light, ventilation, and the smoothness of walls and ceilings. Dairy inspection means first the coming into personal contact with the producer, and the establishing of a personal relation between the control official and the dairyman. It means education instead of prose

cases.

cution in the vast majority of When dairy inspectors can prove to the dairyman that they have a detailed knowledge of milk production and handling, and when they can approach the problems of the dairymen with sympathetic interest, the prime feature of milk control work will be accomplished."

production and handling of milk. This is entirely proper, as a safe and clean milk supply undoubtedly means fewer epidemics and a lower. death rate.

It is important at this time that there be no let down in the work of the health officer to provide a safe and clean milk supply. There should be special emphasis laid on the factors of greatest importance in providing a milk of this kind. On the other hand minor factors which have very little or no effect on the production of safe and clean The milk may be minimized. most important factors are: healthy cows, healthy milkers and milk handlers, cooling milk, sterilization of utensils, washing flanks and udders, small-top pails, and clean, dry hands.

An effort is being made to establish uniformity of rules for safe and clean milk production. This is important both from an economic and a sanitary standpoint, especially so in the thickly settled regions where multiplicity of inspection exists. In all meetings which health officers and inspectors attend, this is a live subject.Public Health, Michigan State. Board of Health.