97G 
ANDREW HYDE. 
milk is apparent from the following statistics. These figures 
have been frequently quoted, but it is not generally understood 
that they apply only to a short period, namely, since 1880, and it 
is deemed advisable to recall them here to emphasize that milk 
is a factor in causing disease. 
One investigator reports fifty epidemics of three thousand 
five hundred cases of typhoid fever, and another fifty-three epi¬ 
demics with three thousand two hundred and twenty-six cases, a 
total of six thousand seven hundre'd and twenty-six .cases com¬ 
piled by these two writers. It was determined in these epidem¬ 
ics that the germ of typhoid fever was distributed by infected 
milk along certain milk-wagon routes. Seven epidemics of 
diphtheria with five hundred cases have been reported in Eng¬ 
land, and eleven epidemics and five hundred and one cases in 
New \ ork, a total of a thousand and one cases, all due to con¬ 
taminated milk. The same investigators report forty-one epi¬ 
demics of scarlet fever, with a total of two thousand three hun¬ 
dred and ninety-three cases, all traceable to infected milk. “ No 
doubt many infants, children and grown persons contract tuber¬ 
culosis by drinking infected milk.” From this it is apparent 
that, under certain conditions, milk is a significant factor in 
spreading disease ; and it would seem as if this phase of the 
question alone was sufficient to warrant the inauguration of a 
system of thorough inspection in every city without emphasiz¬ 
ing the question of fraud in relation to the traffic. 
When the control of milk is more generally established and 
the regulations duly enforced, it is probable that there will be 
a smaller death-rate in children under three years of age, which 
is estimated to be about one-third of all infants, 9-20 of which is 
said to be directly due to milk. The question of pure milk for 
children, of whose food it constitutes a greater part, is, therefore, 
especially important. 
It operates to keep dairies and places where milk is kept for 
sale in cleaner condition, so that it will not be exposed to dan¬ 
gerous odors, which are readily absorbed, making it unfit for 
use. 
