98 
EDITORIAL OBi'E tlVATIONS. 
and of the milk, independently of contact with infective 
matter, was concerned in the production of the disease. 
Stating the point more clearly than it is stated above, it 
amounts to this : failing to find any source of milk contami¬ 
nation from without, it is proposed to suspect the animal 
from which the milk is obtained. 
If we read aright the suggestions which Mr. Power and 
Mr. Smee introduced to the notice of the Pathological Society 
at the meeting on Tuesday, January 7th, it involves the idea 
that the cow, under some unknown conditions, may manu¬ 
facture the poison of scarlatina, enteric fever, and diphtheria, 
or at least may produce something which, after entering the 
human organism along with the milk, is converted into the 
poison of those diseases. 
As a possibly incohate form of diphtheria of man, Messrs. 
Power and Smee have selected the common disease of the 
udder known as “ garget,’ - ’ a subject which Mr. Smee 
remarks, “ veterinary surgeons know little about.” 
It may be looked upon as a fortunate circumstance, so far 
as the mere existence of the speculation as to origin of milk 
epidemics is concerned, that irt emanated from high medical 
authorities, it would not otherwise have survived its birth. 
But, as it is, we find it difficult to understand on what basis 
the committee of investigation, consisting of Dr. Burdon 
Sanderson, Dr. George Buchanan, Dr. Greenfield, Dr. 
Coupland, and Mr. Smee are to proceed, unless they com¬ 
mence by the admission that the present views, in respect 
of infectious diseases, are probably altogether erroneous. 
So long as it is maintained that the poison of a disease 
is only developed in the organism of an individual affected 
with that disease there is no room for speculation as to other 
possible sources. On the other hand, if it is to be allowed 
that the infective matter of scarlatina, for instance, may be 
produced otherwise than by an individual suffering from 
scarlatina, what is to save the very exclusive infection 
theory from expanding to a sufficient extent to include 
the popular view of the spontaneous origin of infectious 
diseases ? 
To the statement that an outbreak of an infectious disease 
