DAIRY, SEED IMPROVEMENT, STOCK BREEDERS MEETINGS. 203 



(i) The epidemic can always be traced to a common milk 

 supply as the source. 



(2) It does not seem to spread readily from person to per- 

 son but principally, perhaps exclusively, through the milk. 



(3) It is very fatal to aged people. 



(4) It is very seldom fatal to children, but 



(5) Produces in them an unusually high percentage of 

 serious complications, such as ear diseases, abscesses, heart 

 disease, peritonitis, erysipelas, joint or rheumatic involvement, 

 pneumonia, acute Bright's disease — one or other, sometimes sev- 

 eral of these, occurring in over 25 per cent of the cases. 



The septic germ, the streptococcus, can usually be found in 

 the milk and in the throats of the sick quite readily. In Bos- 

 ton an epidemic of 2,064 cases was traced to one of the model 

 dairies of New England which for 25 years had enjoyed a high 

 reputation for its sanitary standard. 



The facts in regard to septic sore throat teach us more than 

 anything else that all razv milk may be dangerous milk. 



(e) Minor diseases spread by milk. 



Worthy of passing notice under this head are : 



(i) The milk sickness or "trembles," a disease almost ex- 

 tinct now but which prevailed widely in Central States in 

 pioneer days, and which disappeared as forests were cleared 

 and pastures fenced. Little is known of its real cause but it is 

 known to have been produced by using milk and butter from 

 herds which were affected with the "trembles." It was very 

 fatal ; Nancy Hanks, the mother of Lincoln, died from it. It 

 has recently been proved to be due to a specific bacillus. 



(2) The Foot and Mouth Disease. This also is primarily 

 a disease of cattle and is very destructive to herds — from eco- 

 nomic reasons, not from high animal fatality — but is seldom 

 fatal to human beings. 



(3) Garget Diarrhea. The fact that milk from cows suffer- 

 ing with garget will produce diarrhea if used by man is so 

 well known as to need almost no comment. It is practically 

 never fatal. 



(4) Malta Fever. An interesting disease is Malta Fever, 

 which is primarily a disease of goats but readily transmitted to 

 man by drinking infected goat's milk. In some parts of Europe 

 it is a serious public health problem but not in this country. 



