370 PATHOGENIC BACTERIA IN MILK 



Stokes and Wegefarth reported an outbreak of epidemic 

 diarrhoea in 20 girls at a girls' school in Baltimore, which was 

 traced to the milk supply. The investigation revealed a condi- 

 tion of mastitis in one of the cows yielding the implicated milk. 

 The milk itself was found to be " almost entirely pus cells, 

 together with numerous streptococci," and to this was attributed 

 the outbreak of diarrhoea.^ 



In 1899, Dr Zammit of Malta traced an outbreak of sickness 

 to milk. Five families of 1 2 persons were taken ill with vomiting, 

 diarrhoea, cramps, etc. Two children out of the 12 died. The 

 poisoning was sudden and severe. Another series of cases 

 occurred ten days later. Five houses were implicated, and 17 

 persons attacked. The symptoms were similar to the first 

 series, and included acute pains in the abdomen and cramps in 

 the limbs. The attack followed three hours after consumption 

 of the milk. Several persons in one of the families who had 

 boiled the milk before use did not suffer. B. etiteritidis sporogenes 

 was isolated from the cans in which the milk had been placed, 

 and Dr Zammit attributed these illnesses to that organism.^ 

 Cases of " milk poisoning," allied to outbreaks of this character, 

 have been very frequent, if we are to judge by the records of 

 such. 



In addition to the evidence obtainable from outbreaks of 

 diarrhoea of which the above kinds may be taken as types, there 

 is also much reason to suppose that a large number of sporadic 

 cases of diarrhoea are produced every year by milk. Bacterio- 

 logical examination is, naturally, made in very few sporadic cases 

 of diarrhoea, but there is available evidence of other kinds. 



In Brighton in 1900-1902 there were 226 fatal cases of diarrhoea, 

 in 191 of which it was possible to trace the milk supply. Of these 

 18 (or 9-4 per cent.) were "breast fed," 84 (or 44 per cent.) were 

 fed on condensed milk, and 89 (or 47 per cent.) were fed on cow's 

 milk.^ In the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury in 1901 and 

 1902 it was possible to trace the milk supply in 115 deaths of 

 infants from diarrhoea. Of these, 24 (or 20 per cent.) were fed with 

 human milk, 39 (or 35 per cent.) were fed on condensed milk, and 

 52 (or 45 per cent.) were fed on cow's milk.^ 



At Croydon, Dr Richards has shown that of 253 deaths of 



1 Jour, of State Medicine, 1897, p. 441. 



2 Brit. Med. Jour., 1900, vol. i., p. 1151. 



^ Report on Health of Brighton, 1902, p. 50. 

 * Report on Health of Finsbury, 1902, p. 78. 



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