﻿MILK POISONING DUE TO A TYPE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS ALBUS 

 OCCURRING IN THE UDDER OF A HEALTHY COW ^ 



By M. A. Barber 

 (From the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science, Manila, P. I.) 



During the years 1909-1913 cases of acute gastroenteritis 

 occurred repeatedly on a certain farm in Nueva Ecija Prov- 

 ince, Luzon, P. I. The symptoms resembled those of so-called 

 ptomaine poisoning. Vomiting and diarrhoea were constant 

 symptoms, sometimes accompanied by muscular cramps and 

 faintness. Patients were usually well enough to be about within 

 a few hours, although weakness and malaise often persisted 

 a day or so. 



Occasional cases occurred among the American residents of 

 the farm and among the Filipino employees, but more often 

 visitors were attacked. The origin of the trouble could not be 

 found in any kind of food, since this was carefully prepared, 

 and consisted of the articles ordinarily used in other households 

 where no trouble occurred. Fresh milk and cream, obtained 

 from two cows kept on the farm, were in daily use, but these 

 were not suspected, since they were freely used by the children 

 of the family, and supplied to the family of a neighbor, none 

 of whom had any trouble. The water of the well was suspected, 

 but chemical and bacteriological analyses, and tests made by 

 drinking quantities of samples sent to the laboratory of the 

 Bureau of Science, gave wholly negative results. 



The cases showed a curious seasonal incidence, occurring 

 almost wholly during the hot dry season of the year — March, 

 April, May, and June — and never, or rarely, during the rainy 

 or the cool dry season. Few or no cases occurred during the 

 year 1911. 



I made several visits of investigation to the farm, and was 

 three times the victim of attacks there. No member of the family 

 showed any symptoms at the time of these attacks, or at most 

 very slight ones, although on two occasions the same articles of 

 food and drink were served to all. On one visit, I drank the 



* Read before the Far Eastern Medical Association, December, 1913. 



515 



