492 



Prof. J. C. Ewart. 



" On a New Form of Febrile Disease associated with the 

 presence of an Organism distributed with Milk from the 

 Oldmill Reformatory School, Aberdeen." By J. CosSAR 

 Ewart, M.D., Professor of Natural History in the University 

 of Aberdeen. Communicated by Professor BdRDON San- 

 derson, F.R.S. Received and Read June 16, 1881. 



History of the Outbreak. — On the 1st of April one of my servants 

 was prostrated with a peculiar fever, which at first seemed to be a 

 severe attack of influenza. No special treatment was indicated, and 

 it did not appear necessary to call in a medical attendant. When, 

 however, on the following day a child of nine months was attacked in 

 the same way, I felt alarmed, and at once proceeded to inquire as to 

 the nature of the disease, and as to its probable origin. 



I soon heard of about twenty other cases, all suffering in the same 

 way, and all living under similar conditions and in the same neigh- 

 bourhood, using the same water, and, without exception, all obtaining 

 their milk from the same dairy. 



Knowing how often milk has been a means of disseminating fever 

 organisms, I secured the milk on delivery the next morning (April 3), 

 that I might examine it microscopically, and subject it to other tests, 

 should such seem necessary. 



Further inquiry carried on by Dr. Beveridge, Chairman of the 

 Aberdeen Town Council Health Committee, showed that the same 

 fever followed fast in the track of the milk-cart from the Oldmill 

 Reformatory School. Out of 110 families supplied, with Oldmill milk, 

 at least 89 suffered from this peculiar fever ; there being 220 cases in 

 66 of these families ; in all, about 320 individuals are known to have 

 suffered. 



Careful inquiry failed to discover a single case where the Oldmill 

 milk hspl not been in use in one form or another. 



The fever seems to have made its appearance on the 25th of March, 

 but to have made but slow progress until the 1st of April, when 13 

 cases were reported. On the 2nd of April 22 cases were reported ; 

 there were 22 more on the 3rd of April, 31 on the 4th of April, 27 on 

 the 5th April, 50 on the 6th April, and 16 on the 7th April. By the 

 6th April many families had ceased to use the Oldmill milk, and on 

 the 7th April the Directors of the Reformatory stopped the supply. 

 On the day the supply was stopped, 16 fresh cases were reported. On 

 the 8th April 6 were reported, another was reported on the 9th April, 

 and the only other known case w T as reported on the 13th April. 



From the evidence given before the Commissioners, appointed 

 under the Public Health (Scotland) Act to investigate the nature and 



