DISEASES CAUSED BY INFECTED MILK 129 



occurred at Bedford at the end of June, 1902. On 27th June, the 

 first case occurred; on 29th June, four cases occurred; 30th June, 

 fifteen cases occurred; 1st July, thirteen cases; 2d July, three 

 cases; 3d July, two cases; and 4th July to 8th July, four cases, 

 making a total of forty-two cases in twenty-two families. The 

 symptoms included redness, swelling of the throat, fauces, palate, 

 and uvula, with numerous spots, patches of exudation, and hi some 

 cases ulcers. The general symptoms consisted of severe headaches, 

 giddiness, backache, and pains in the limbs, very much like an 

 attack of influenza. The temperature was about 102 to 103 F., 

 but in a few cases was higher. In some cases there was gastric 

 and intestinal disturbance. Great weakness was also present. 

 In every case the milk supply was obtained from the same dairy. 

 On Sunday, 30th June, many persons consumed cream with 

 fruit, and these included nearly all the worst cases. In some fam- 

 ilies children who drank boiled milk escaped, whilst parents who 

 consumed unboiled milk or cream were attacked. One man took 

 cream in the form of ice cream, and had a severe attack. 1 



Further illustrations of outbreaks of septic sore throat 

 due to milk are given in the recent volume upon "Milk and 

 the Public Health," by William G. Savage. 



Milk sickness 



Milk sickness is a peculiar disease also known as the 

 "sloes" or "trembles." It was once very prevalent 

 throughout the central part of the United States, and was 

 one of the dangers our pioneering forefathers had to con- 

 tend with. In some localities the disease was so prevalent 

 and fatal that whole communities migrated from the milk- 

 sick sections to parts where the disease did not occur. 



We are told by Colonel Henry Watterson that Nancy 

 Hanks, the mother of Abraham Lincoln, died from this 

 disease in 1818 after an illness of a week. In the words of 

 Colonel Watterson, "the dreaded milk sickness stalked 

 abroad smiting equally human beings and cattle." Trem- 



1 C. C. Jensen, Essentials of Milk Hygiene. Translated by L. Pearson. 

 Philadelphia and London: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1907. 



