MILK-BORNE DISEASES 145 



England, which was traced beyond the possibility of 

 reasonable doubt to the milk supply. Over two hun- 

 dred and fifty persons were attacked, of which num- 

 ber thirty-eight died.^° Since that time numerous 

 outbreaks of the disease have been traced to infected 

 milk. While, as stated, the existence of bovine diph- 

 theria is still a moot question, there can be no doubt 

 as to the spread of the germs of the disease through 

 the medium of infected milk. And it has certainly 

 been shown by epidemics of sore throat, such as that 

 at Woking already referred to, and many others, that 

 a very slight disease in the cow may produce a very 

 severe epidemic of sore throat among the users of 

 its milk. 



Of typhoid epidemics, so many of the worst have 

 been traced to infected milk that the moment an out- 

 break of the disease occurs the milk supply is at once 

 suspected. To-day, as these lines are being written,* 

 the afternoon paper contains an account of an out- 

 break of the disease in a neighboring village. The 

 newspaper report contains the very significant state- 

 ment by the local health officer that steps are being 

 taken to see "that all milk cans in which milk is 

 brought . . . are cleaned thoroughly and that no 

 water which might contain typhoid germs is put into 

 them." It is a lamentable fact that it always takes 

 an outbreak of disease, more or less serious, to cause 

 * November 15, 1907. 



