Reorganising Malta’s early twentieth-century milkscape : a failed attempt?

Abstract

In the opening years of the twentieth century, the Maltese archipelago lent its name to an illness whose origin was scientifically studied in Malta. Better known as Malta Fever, those suffering from this condition consumed milk from goats infected with a pathogen known as Brucellosis. In 1907, the British colonial government embarked on a process to address the spread of undulant fever. Despite the various official attempts to address the problem, Malta’s milkscape remains relatively unchanged, even in the immediate years following the Second World War. This research highlights two trends that have yet to be primarily understood. In some cases, the narrative was construed in a biased manner, conveniently choosing those aspects that politically fit the agenda of those with particular aspirations. While revisiting the documents, an attempt is made to contextualise the complex web of affairs that came to dominate the story of milk in twentieth-century Malta. Against this background, this exploratory study attempts to present an additional layer of interpretation to another aspect of Malta’s intangible cultural heritage.