COLORADO A & ?I COLLEGE Ry M. Green, President Division of Veterinary Medicine September 16, 1946 Dr. Florence Sabin, Chairman Governor*a Co888ittee on Health Denver, Colorado Dear Do&or Sabint Since it is evident from an examination of the preliminary draft of the health program which your committee has drawn up it ir the intention to place more of the food supervision snd inspection under the State Board of Health, may I draw your attention to the part which the veterinary profession might play in the service. From the very beginning of the federal meat inspection service, veterin- ariane have not only been in charge, but have carried out nearly all of the detailed work 3.n the yards and packing houses. At the present time more than one thousand members of the profession are engaged in this service. The Dairy Bureau of the Department of Agriculture, while concerned more with education and research than with inspection, has on its staff a number of veterinarians. All of the food inspection service of the army, including milk, meat, fish, poultry, and in fact all food products, is under the supervision of the Veterinary Corps which i8 an integral part of the Medical Department. At one time the army employed 2300 veterinarians largely for this purpose. The U. S.Publio Health Service has recently made provieion for the addition of a staff of veterinarians and is now engaged in seleoting qualified men for the positions. While many of the states have meat and dairy inspection located in various departments, rmch as the department of agriculture, the liveStOCk sanitary board, or the board of health, in most instances the work in these two line8 is con- ducted either directly by veterinarians or with the advioe of members of the profession. The food inspection in most of the large cities is conducted in the 6ame way. There, the service is usually in the health department, but there are veterinarians employed who look after the meat and milk. In Colorado, the following cities have their food inspection directly under the supervision of member8 of the veterinary profession: Fort Collins Loveland Berthoud Longmont Boulder Greeley Sterling Pueblo Salida Grand ¬ion Fort Morgan Rifle Glenwood Springs Yontrose Alamosa Monte Vista -2-9 Dr. Florence Sabin It would seem therefore that co-operation vith these various agencies and the state service could best b8 accomplished either by having a veterinarian on the State Board of Health or one employed by that body. Eat only would this be advantageous in promoting better relationship with the city food inspection systems, but there are also other area8 that are common to the medical and vet- erinary professions where veterinary knowledge would be of assistance. MY I nention particularly the prevalsnoe of brWelloSi8 in the cattle of the state. It is true that the oontrol and eradication of this disease is more particularly under the supervision of the state veterinarian and the local offioe of the Federal Bureau of Animal Industry, but because of the danger of this disease in the production of undulant fever in man, closer co-operation with the State Public Health Service would be desirable. The presence of Malta fever in goats, as well as in some human patients, is further evidence of the need of such co-operation. May I call your attention to the finding of the U. S. Bureau of Animal Industry that of some 11,000 goat8 tested in the state, nine percent were affected with this disease. It is also known that there were 80111z) human cases, but I am not aware that any adequate gurvey of the prevalence of the disease in man has been made. Eo doubt there is excellent excuse for this condition, since the state health service has been extremely short of funds and therefore unable to get competent assistance. The situation, however, remains serious and badly needs attention. It is probably unnecessary for me to state that only the veterinary schools offer complete and well rounded instruction in food inspection. Our own depart- ment of meat and dairy hygiene is now under the supervision of a man who spent 29 years in the army where that type of service is especially stressed. There are said to be 36 disease8 of to man. Any complete plan for improving fore make use of members of a profession of meat and dairy products and competent eases of lower animals to thO8e in man. offers its services to your committee in be of arsistance. lower animals that are tranmniseible human health in the state should there- especially trained in the inspection to understand the relationship of dis- The veterinary profession of Colorado any way in which you feel that it can Very truly yours, IEE/S I. E. Eewsom Dean