269 
Because of the debris in ice cream, which ordinarily renders the 
usual method of centrifuging milk and cream samples quite imprac- 
ticable, the above method was resorted to and, so far as the detection 
of the presence of streptococci was concerned, it was found eminently 
satisfactory. 
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A PURE ICE CREAM SUPPLY IN RELATION 
TO PUBLIC HEALTH. 
A study of the literature dealing with diseases traced to the eat- 
ing of ice cream shows that not only are isolated cases more or less 
severe, even sometimes resulting in death, fairly numerous, but wide- 
spread epidemics have been caused by the toxicity of the substance. 
Such diseases are, of course, of gastro-intestinal origin. Among 
these epidemics is one of typhoid fever described by Dr. George Tur- 
ner, occurring at Depford in 1891, which was apparently caused by 
ice cream. 
Another epidemic of this disease occurred in Liverpool in 1897 
to which 27 cases were traced. 
In 1902, in the city of London, 18 cases of typhoid fever were 
traced by the health officer of Finsbury (see report of health of Fins- 
bury, 1902, page 67) to ice cream as the source of infection. 
More commonly, however, the illness caused by ice cream has the 
symptoms of colic, headache, diarrhea, and depression rather than a 
specific typhoid infection. “ Such an outbreak occurred in Birming- 
ham during the summer of 1905 (Thresh & Porter, Preservatives in 
Foods and Food Examination, page 280) and was investigated by 
Dr. Bobertson, the city medical officer of health. Out of 250 con- 
sumers served 52 cases of illness occurred, 4 only of the patients being 
over 14 years of age. The interval which elapsed between the eating 
of the ice cream and the onset of the illness varied from half an 
hour to eight and a half hours. All the persons suffered from diar- 
rhea and collapse. No irritant poison was discoverable by chemical 
analysis. Professor Leith examined the ice cream bacteriologically 
and found therein a bacillus of the colon group capable of causing 
the death of guinea pigs. From an examination of the premises in 
which the ice cream was manufactured it appeared probable that it 
had become contaminated while standing in the cooling shed after 
boiling and before freezing. Opposite this shed there were 3 water- 
closets in an extremely filthy condition, and possibly organisms of 
excremental origin had fallen upon one of the buckets of the cream 
while it was in a warm condition. These would rapidly multiply and 
may have produced toxins or ptomaines. Neither the bacilli nor their 
poisonous products would be affected by the subsequent freezing.” 
