98 MILK AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH chap. 



suppurating glands of one of his cases showed streptococci on 

 cultivation in pure growth.^ 



(15) Belvidere Hospital, Glasgow [15], 1904 (reported by 

 Dr. A. K. Chalmers).— In May 1904, at Belvidere Hospital, 39 

 persons were affected ; chiefly nurses, cleaners, and wardmaids. 

 The symptoms were those of tonsillitis and were mostly mild. No 

 deaths. The illness was traced to milk, and ceased when the milk 

 was sterilised. The cases extended over a period of about twenty 

 to twenty-five days, half the cases sickening in the week ending 

 May 14. On April 23 a new cow had been added to the herd of 

 seventy-two cows. Towards the end of April the group of cows to 

 which the new cow had first been added began to suffer from a teat 

 eruption, and this spread to the other cows. It spread until 30 

 per cent of the herd were attacked, the outbreak reaching its height 

 about May 6. The hands of four out of eight milkers were affected 

 with sores. Chalmers regarded the teat condition as the cause of 

 the outbreak. 



(16) Paisley [16], October 1904 (reported by Dr. A. Robb).— 

 Over 100 cases were known, but there were others which did 

 not come under observation. No deaths. The symptoms were 

 those of acute throat inflammation with constitutional symptoms. 

 Diphtheritic-looking membrane present on the tonsils, sometimes also 

 on uvula and soft palate. Malaise, high temperature, and marked 

 prostration. The only factor connecting the cases was a common 

 milk supply. The burgh veterinary inspector visited the farm late 

 in the epidemic, and reported that many of -the cows had evidently 

 recently suffered from cow-pox — the teats showing remains of the 

 eruption — but had now recovered. No information given as to 

 whether there was or had been any illness amongst the milkers. 

 Bacteriological examination of throats showed that the outbreak 

 was not due to the diphtheria bacillus. 



(17) Colchester [17], April 1905 (reported by Dr. W. G. 

 Savage). — Outbreak very extensive, probably at least 600 cases, 

 and of these over 170 cases known to be under medical treatment. 

 The symptoms were those of " septic sore throat." The tonsils and 

 other parts of the throat were red and swollen. In some cases 

 diphtheritic-like membrane was present, even extending on to the 

 soft palate. The submaxillary glands were generally enlarged and 

 painful. In no cases were rashes observed. No deaths were re- 

 corded. There were few or no secondary cases. Females suffered 



1 French suggests, from these facts, that the cause of the disease ivas 

 undoubtedly the Streptococrns mcmimitis bovi. My investigations have shown 

 that the ordinary streptococcus of mastitis is 7iot the Streptococcus pyogenes ml 

 erysipelatosus, and, therefore, the fact that there was evidence in favour of the 

 presence of this latter organism is another link in the chain of evidence demon- 

 strating that when cows' udder abnormalities are infectious to man we have 

 present an organism, such as Streptococcus pyogenes, which is of human origin. 



