106 



MILK HYGIENE 



3. Sudden onset and rapid decline of the outbreak. 



4. Certain clinical characteristics of the milk-borne 

 disease, especially a somewhat milder form of disease 

 than is customary. 



5. A lower mortality rate than when the disease is 

 transmitted by other means, as shown by the following 

 table : 



Mortality Pekcentages 



Milk-Borne Outbreaks 



Scarlet fever . . 

 Typhoid fever 

 Diphtheria . . . 



12.0 

 11.0 

 18.9 



Xot Milk-Borne 



1(;.2 

 17.4 

 30.3 



The above table is made by Swithinbank and New- 

 man (whose chapters on this subject should be read) 

 from a study of many thousands of cases of milk-borne 

 disease. It should be stated that the mortality percent- 

 ages in the first column are actual, and taken from the 

 records, while those of the second column are based on 

 estimates from other writers. L.P.] 



a. Typhoid fever. During recent years, especially, 

 there have been numerous reports from city and coun- 

 try, of typhoid epidemics which have been traced to con- 

 tamination of the milk by typhoid bacilli, and to the dis- 

 semination of disease through such milk. At first, the 

 correctness of the observations was doubted, since it 

 was not possible to find the typhoid bacillus in milk, but 

 recently the observations have so increased in number 

 and accuracy that it is not to be denied that the principal 

 means by which typhoid fever is distril>iited in places 

 where there is a safe and hygienic ivater supply, is 

 through the milk. Although it cannot be said that 

 typhoid fever is especially prevalent in Denmark, yet a 



