202 BACTERIA 



on account of the fact that the organism is readily killed by 

 desiccation, and yet such is necessary before it can be air- 

 borne. The most frequent mode of infection of milk with 

 this disease is from the throats, hands, bodies, or clothing- 

 of dairy workers suffering from a mild or acute form of the 

 disease. 



The specific and proved cases in which milk has acted as 

 the vehicle of diphtheria are, it is true, comparatively few. 

 Yet, nevertheless, the possibility of milk infection in this 

 disease is not one which we can afford to neglect. 



Scarlet Fever, Here again the evidence is not complete, 

 chiefly owing to the fact that no specific organism of scarlet 

 fever has yet been discovered. Many cases have, however, 

 illustrated the undeniable conveyance of the disease by 

 milk. Even before 1881 a number of milk epidemics of 

 scarlet fever had been traced out. In 1882 these were 

 further added to by Mr. W. H. Power's report concerning 

 a series of cases in Central London. That report was re- 

 markable for the introduction of a new feature, viz., the 

 evidence produced in favour of the infection of milk from 

 some disease of the cow. The Medical Department of the 

 Local Government Board from that time took up a position 

 of suspended judgment concerning the belief hitherto 

 credited that milk could only be infected by human scarlet 

 fever. In 1886 there was a remarkable epidemic in Mary- 

 lebone, and the theory was suggested by Dr. Klein and 

 Mr. Power that the cow from which the milk was derived 

 suffered from scarlet fever. 



Into the extensive controversy which raged round " the 

 Hendon disease," as it was called, affecting the cows supply- 

 ing the Marylebone milk, we cannot here enter. It will be 

 sufficient to say that a long discussion took place as to 

 whether or not this Hendon disease was or was not scarlet 

 fever. The difficulty of course largely arose from the fact 

 before mentioned that we do npt at present know the specific 



