Re: Raw milk and the law (was A request for ideas)

[Guest guest]

Ramit,

Here is a start!

Bianca

In 1926, an ordinance was proposed in Missouri that would have prohibited

the sale of raw milk. The judge in this case said:

" A great volume of evidence was offered regarding the relative qualities

of raw milk and pasteurized milk...The evidence conclusively shows that

pasteurization altered the character of the milk, and the testimony of

far the greater number of physicians and bacteriologists who testified

was that pasteurization impairs its quality; that it destroys some of the

vitamins in the milk and impairs others; that it destroys the lactic acid

which causes milk to sour; that souring is a process of

self-preservation; and lactic acid is an important element in

counteracting pernicious bacteria; that pasteurization disintegrates the

salts, such as calcium, iron, and phosphates, causes them to lose their

organic quality and makes them more difficult, if not impossible to

assimilate; that pasteurization caused constipation and indigestion

particularly among babies and children; that it breaks down enzymes,

though other physicians said there was sufficient of that element in the

digestive organisms of persons who drink milk. It was shown that doctors

generally require raw milk for ailing babies and children; that children

who could not flourish on pasteurized milk usually improved in health and

flourished on raw milk. There was other evidence to show that one reason

for the satisfactory healthfulness of raw milk is that it increases the

vitality and resistance of a child because it is easier to assimilate;

that the destruction of pathogenic germs by pasteurization was more than

counterbalanced by the superior quality of raw milk.

In addition...the relators offered the testimony of a number of mothers

and other raisers of children, and they uniformly testified that children

who were not healthful when fed on pasteurized milk were healthful when

fed raw milk. The respondents made no attempt to counteract that

testimony, but countenance it was unimportant coming from a

non-professional source. But it was the opinion of several Physicians

that actual experience, particularly clinical experience, was more

valuable than laboratory tests in determining the effects of milk upon

the system. "

The court decided that the ordinance prohibiting the sale of raw milk was

in conflict with the law and should be invalidated.

*taken from The Milk Book by s, MD.

On Wed, 13 Mar 2002 18:02:15 -0500 Ramit <supersugarjunkie@...>

writes:

Anyway, if you think this is an awful idea, let me know. But I am just

getting so upset, and, after tons of searching, having found little of

relevance, I think there's a gap in the information here... If there's

any

solid work documenting these things, please let me know. Does this sound

like a worthy project?

Ramit

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