ACUTE INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



93 



of the sufferers, which had been fed a good deal on the imphcated 

 milk, became very ill at the same time as their owners, and nearly 

 died from what the veterinary surgeon who attended them called 

 " severe inflammation of the throat." 



(5) FiNCHLEY [5], November 1894 (reported by Professor H. 

 Kenwood). — Total number of cases not known. The first 24 cases 

 were explosive in onset, all occurring within forty hours. The 

 chief symptom was sore throat, which was not diphtheria, although 

 the throats in many sufferers resembled those found in that disease. 

 The suspected milk supplied 94 per cent of the total number of 

 houses which were infected, but only 17 per cent of the total 

 houses in the district. The disease affected persons in good-class 

 houses with scarcely an exception. On the whole children were 

 not mainly affected. The only source of infection which could be 

 found was that there were on the farm supplying the incriminated 

 milk three cows evidently out of health, and in each case suffering 

 from ulcerations of the teats, while one of the cows had a small 

 chronic abscess in the udder. All the throats of those who 

 milked the cows were examined by Kenwood and found by him to 

 be healthy. 



(6) Anglesey [6], February 1897 (reported by Dr. C. Grey- 

 Edwards and Mr. W. D. Severn). — Fifteen cases. No deaths. 

 Symptoms were those of follicular tonsillitis. The evidence im- 

 plicating the milk rests upon the fact that all the cases had a 

 common milk supply derived from the farm upon which the first 

 three cases (two children and a servant) occurred, and that three 

 children between two and three years of age escaped apparently 

 because they received only boiled milk. The cases occurred between 

 February 12 and March 1. The cows were examined some time 

 after the end of February (date not given) by a veterinary surgeon, 

 who failed to detect anything wrong. When the milk of the 

 individual cows was examined, the milk of one contained staphylo- 

 cocci and streptococci. While the outbreak may reasonably be 

 ascribed to the milk, the evidence supplied does not show the 

 cause of infection, whether human or bovine. We are not told if 

 the servant on the farm had anything to do with the cows or 

 milking utensils. 



(7) Stjebiton [7], 1897 (reported by Dr. Coleman). — Thirty 

 cases at least known, and probably others. Symptoms those of 

 sore throat. Cases supplied from one milkman. One of the 

 milkers found to be suffering from tonsillitis with suppurating 

 whitlows on both hands. 



(8) Hackney [8], 1900 (reported by Dr. J. King Warry). — 

 The disease was prevalent during nearly the whole of April and 

 the first week in May. Outbreak extensive ; 151 known cases in 

 eighty-eight households. The symptoms were those of severe septic 



