320 



PATHOGENIC BACTERIA IN MILK 



became infected with typhoid fever by 

 contact with a case of that disease. 

 Upwards of 20 cases occurred among 

 the persons using the milk from this 

 farm. 



Probable exciting cause. — Human 

 source. 



Reporter and reference. — Dr J. 

 Wallace (Med. Off. of Health). Sani- 

 tary Record., vol. iv., p. 234. 



St Pancras, London, 1877 {^February). 



Total number of cases . . 35 



Deaths 2 



Number of cases amongst drinkers 



of suspected milk ... 30 



Percentage on total cases . . 85 

 Number of families supplied by 



milkman 400 



Number of such families invaded 21 



Percentage 5 



Number of polluted milk sources i 



Number of milkmen . . . i 



Circumstances implicating the milk 

 supply. — Of the 35 cases of typhoid 

 fever, 30 had used the suspected milk. 

 During five days no less than 12 fresh 

 cases appeared in eleven separate 

 houses and all the persons attacked 

 had used the suspected milk. More- 

 over, the epidemic was conterminous 

 with the walk of a particular milk- 

 vendor from the suspected milk-shop. 

 There were adequate circumstances 

 explaining the origin of the disease in 

 the 5 cases which did not consume the 

 suspected milk. The supply was drawn 

 from three farms, in two of which the 

 water supply was contaminated. The 

 large number of families supplied and 

 the comparatively few infected may 

 have been due to the three sources 

 from which the dealer obtained his 

 milk supply. 



Probable exciting cause. — Dr Steven- 

 son adds, " How the milk became the 

 vehicle of typhoid is at present and 

 will remain a mystery." 



Reporter and reference. — Dr T. 



Stevenson (Med. Off. of Health). Med. 

 Times and Gazette^ ^"^11 •, vol. G., p. 653. 



The Gumes, Ystalyfera, 1877. 



Total number of cases . . 7 



Number of cases amongst drinkers 



of suspected milk ... 7 

 Percentage on total cases . .100 

 Number of polluted milk sources i 

 Number of milkmen . . . i 



Circumstances implicating the milk 

 supply. — The milkman lived in a small 

 overcrowded house and stored his milk, 

 previously to sale, in a badly ventilated 

 pantry leading out of the living-room 

 of the family. At the time of the out- 

 break the milkman's son was lying in 

 the house ill of typhoid fever. All the 

 cases were attacked simultaneously and 

 all were in the habit of using milk pro- 

 cured from this dealer. 



Probable exciting cause. — Human 

 source. 



Reporter. — H. F. Parsons, M.D. 

 (Loc. Gov. Bd.). 



Glasgow and Hillhead, 1877-8 



( December and fanuary). 



Total number of cases . .163 



Deaths 15 



Number of polluted milk sources i 

 Number of milkmen . . . r 



Circumstances implicating the milk 

 supply. — At one of the farms supplying 

 the milk the sanitar)' arrangements were 

 defective and the well water was con- 

 taminated. On 1st December a son of 

 the farmer sickened with typhoid fever, 

 a servant girl on 20th December, and 

 another boy on 27th December. The 

 work of the dairy was carried on by per- 

 sons who attended the patients, and the 

 excreta was thrown into the byre drain. 

 The epidemic was sudden in onset, and 

 attacked only the drinkers of the milk 

 from two dairies supplied by the in- 

 fected farm. The disease picked out 

 the milk-drinkers in a very marked 

 manner. 



