468 BACTERIA PATHOGENIC TO MAN 



has been in contact with any person having scarlet fever, typhoid 

 fever, measles, diphtheria, or consumption, to have access to the cattle, 

 or to have any connection with the milk or milking, or with the milk 

 utensils. Epidemics and outbreaks of contagious disease are often 

 produced through the infection of the milk in this way. Every year 

 epidemics occur which have been traced to milk contaminated by 

 ignorant or careless milkmen, who have infected their milk from their 

 dirty hands or the dirty water, or in other careless ways. This, of 

 course, is entirely unnecessary and can be prevented. The extent of 

 this danger may be judged by the fact that two years ago there was 

 published in one of the medical journals a report upon 330 outbreaks 

 of epidemic diseases traced to milk; 195 of these were epidemics of 

 typhoid fever, in 147 of which the disease prevailed at the dairy or 

 farm; in 67 it was due to contamination of well-water; in 24, employe's 

 at the farm were acting as nurses, and in 10 they w~ere working while 

 still sick. There were 99 epidemics of scarlet fever, in 68 of which 

 the source of infection was traced to the illness of persons at the dairy; 

 in 17 the employe's were themselves suffering from scarlet fever, and in 

 10 they were acting as nurses to scarlet fever patients. In other cases 

 the mode of infection was through the storage of milk near infected 

 rooms, or the poison was brought by cans or bottles from patients' 

 houses. There were 36 epidemics of diphtheria, in 13 of which the 

 disease existed at the farm or dairy. 



