36 
SUMMARY OF EPIDEMICS. 
Of the 23 diphtheria epidemics reported as spread by milk and 
compiled since 1895. 15 occurred in the United States and 8 in Great 
Britain; cases of the diseases occurred at the producing farm, dis- 
tributing dairy or milk shop at such a time as to have been the possi- 
ble cause of the outbreak in 18 cases; the diseased person milked the 
cows in 4; the same person nursed the sick and handled the milk in 
1 ; the outbreak -was supposed to be due to disease of the cows in 2 ; 
all cases of the disease were reported as living in households supplied 
with the suspected milk in 15 instances; measures taken upon the 
presumption that milk was the carrier of infection were reported as 
followed by subsidence of the outbreak in 5 cases; the Klebs-Loffler 
bacillus w&s isolated from the suspected milk in 2 of the epidemics. 
The following outbreak is one of many interesting examples : 
OUTBREAK OF DIPHTHERIA IX DORCHESTER, MILTOX, AXD HYDE PARK.® 
On April 13, 1907, after a period of comparative freedom from 
diphtheria, there were reported to the board of health of the town of 
Milton 11 cases of that disease. This sudden explosion caused very 
naturally a feeling of grave apprehension on the part of the local 
health authorities. The following is an account of the epidemic: 
Cases of diphtheria were reported in Milton as follows: April 12, 1 
case; 13, 11 cases; 14, 1 case; 15, 4 cases (of these 4 cases, 3 were 
in the same house and secondary to a case which had developed be- 
fore the 12th and can therefore be considered as not belonging to this 
explosive outbreak) : 16, 1 case. In Dorchester cases were reported 
as follows: April 12, 6 cases: 13, 19 cases; 14, 11 cases. In Hyde 
Park the number and dates were: April 13, 2 cases; 14, 5 cases; 15, 6 
cases; 16, 1 case; 17, 3 cases, and 19, 1 case. 
The following table shows the relationship of the cases in the differ- 
ent places : 
a Monthly Bulletin, State board of health, Mass., May, 1907, vol. 2, Xo. 5, 
p. 117. 
