Center for Labor Education & Research, University of Hawaii - West Oahu: Honolulu Record Digitization Project

Honolulu Record, Volume 10 No. 9, Thursday, September 26, 1957 p. 1

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Treated Cows now Give Milk that Helps War on Diseases

Milk fortified in the cow's udder to produce immunity among consumers against certain diseases has been shipped from the U.S. to Mexico to combat infant diarrhea. The discoverer of "protective milk," Dr. W. E. Peterson, noted dairy scientist of the University of Minnesota, expects that it will be on sale in markets next year.

Information New

Locally, a spokesman for Dairymen's Assn. said that he has not heard of "protective milk." He said this information is "news to me."

Dr. Oliver Wayman of the College of Agriculture, University of Hawaii, says that when Dr. Peterson passed through here two years ago on his way to New Zealand, he revealed that he was working on fortified milk. He was the guinea pig for his experiments.

Dr. James Koshi, of the College of Agriculture, worked with Dr. Peterson as graduate student at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Wayman said he knows of no other station that is experimenting with fortified milk containing anti-bodies.

How it is Done

When information on the techniques used by Dr. Peterson becomes available, the local university may start its work in this field, he said.

Dr. Koshi told the RECORD that he worked with Dr. Peterson in the Initial phases of the experiment.

"I worked with him in fifty-four, late fifty-three. We went into it quite heavily in fifty-four," he mild.

Dr. Koshi said that for quite some time "protective milk" will be put out on a survey basis rather than as outright commercial milk. Milk for certain diseases may be produced by different farms.

"It would be difficult to go into large quantity production right off the bat, "he explained.

Dr. Peterson has been experimenting on the capability of the cow's udder, injected with disease bacteria, to produce milk charged with defensive anti-bodies and to transmit immunity to the consumer of the milk.

In a recent report on progress being made with "protective milk," Dr. Peterson held out hope for the treatment of cancer, rheumatic fever, the common cold and possibly other ailments with the special milk.

Control of cancer with antibodies is a conjecture, some say, but add that ""protective milk" is promising for the control of infant diseases.

Human beings are drinking "protective milk" and the available supply will expand as more research herds become available.

Dr. Peterson's research centers around his discovery, reported in medical journals in 1950, that a pregnant cow has the ability to give, milk that protects her calf against disease.

p /> I do not say that at odd hours a patient must be given the regular hot dinner or supper. Few people would expect this.
 
But what is so complicated about opening and heating a can of soup, making some toast, or preparing instant coffee or tea? Why cannot a night nurse do these simple things after the kitchen to closed? Is it just too much trouble?

It is only common humanity to feed the hungry. If our hospitals are too big, too complex, too impersonal to do these small kindnesses for the sick, something is very wrong.