348 



PATHOGENIC BACTERIA IN MILK 



1883-84, p. 49 ; Brit. Med. Jour., 1883, 

 vol. i., p. 876. 



Canterbury, 1886 {,My). 



Total number of cases . .231 

 Number of families supplied by 



milkmen 196 



Number of such families invaded 1 16 

 Percentage 59 



Circumstances implicating the milk 

 supply. — Milkman and family suffered 

 from "sore throat." Of 422 houses 

 canvassed in one locality 196 were sup- 

 plied wholly (160) or partly (36) by the 

 suspected milk. Of these 196 house- 

 holds 1 1 5 were invaded by diphtheria 

 in a period of 8 days, and only 5 of 

 the remaining 226 so invaded. One 

 patient had the milk only at a friend's 

 house in tea. 



Probable exciting cause. — Indirectly 

 from human source. 



Reporter and reference. — Dr Washer 

 (Med. Off. of Health). Brit. Med. 

 Jour., 1886, vol. ii., p. 397. 



Yorktown and Oamberley, Surrey, 

 1886 {October). 



Total number of cases , .140 



Deaths 16 



Number of cases amongst 



drinkers of suspected milk . 124 

 Percentage on total cases . . 89 

 Number of families supplied by 



milkmen 94 



Number of such families invaded 48 



Percentage 51 



Number of polluted milk sources i 

 Number of milkmen . . several 



Circumstances implicating the milk 

 supply. — Human agency and polluted 

 water for washing purposes were 

 both supposed by some to have brought 

 about the epidemic. But at a time 

 immediately preceding the outbreak 

 the milk of two cows which had just 

 calved was added to the general supply. 

 Of the 57 houses invaded 48 (or 84 

 per cent.) took the implicated milk. 



Of the 140 individuals attacked 124 (or 

 88-5 per cent.) were consumers of the 

 milk, and 93 per cent, of the 140 were 

 attacked within the same ten days, 

 8th to 17th October. There was also jfl 

 evidence to show that the amount of ™ 

 milk consumed determined the severity 

 of the disease. Persons of the better 

 class had averaged 5-2 pints per house- 

 hold daily, whereas among the cottagers 

 and tradesfolk it had averaged only 

 0-8 pint daily. The disease affected 

 various classes, both rich and poor, 

 but 84 per cent, of the milkman's better 

 class customers were attacked com- 

 pared with 22 per cent, of the poorer 

 class. A broad distinction between 

 the two classes was found in the 

 amount of milk which they were 

 respectively in the habit of taking. 

 Of children under 15 years of age 

 54 per cent, were attacked in the 

 better class families, and 6 per cent, 

 in the poorer class. 



Probable exciting cause. — Undeter- 

 mined. 



Reporter and reference. — W. H. 

 Power, F.R.S. Loc. Gov. Bd. Rep., 



1886, pp. 311-326. 



Melrose and Maiden, Mass., U.S.A., 

 1887. 



Total number of cases . . 50 



Deaths 14 



Number of polluted milk sources i 



Circumstances implicating the milk 

 supply. — The disease occurred in 30 

 families, 24 of which derived their 

 milk directly from milkmen having 

 diphtheria in their families. 



Reporter and reference. — Dr J. S. 

 Clark. Boston Med. and Surg. Jour., 



1887, vol. ii., p. 100. 



linfleld, 1887 {Novemher and December). 



Total number of cases . . 51 



Deaths 12 



Number of cases amongst 



drinkers of suspected milk . 42 



