The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-02-08
Disease fn Milk.

4 physician reports to the Burnley, Eng
land. board OF guardians serious outbreak
of typhoid-iever Gin consequence OF the con-
sumption of infected milk" The circum-
stances, as narrated by him, were as follows:
A farmer who kept twenty-one mich COWS.
and supplied about fifty families in two VII
lagos with milk, had typhoid-feyer in his
house unknown to the sanitary authorities OF
the district, who consequently took no pre-
cautions against the spread OF the disease.
He continued to supply his customers daily
with milk from his farmhouse; and at the
date Of the report January 10th) there were
in the two villages tifty-fre persons SICK
with typhod-fever-all in families supplied
with milk from this farm, and there were
no other cases in the district. OF the fifty
families receiving milk from this farmer
thirty-seven had members down with
the fever, the great majority being
children or young persons. The type Of
fever was mild one; but half the cases
were vet in the incipient stages, and one
woman had died. No suspicion had
been entertained Of the source OF the epi-
demic, which was accidentally discovered
by the physician two days before he made
this report. There is no hint in the report
Of the manner in which it is suspected the
infection was carried in the milk, or how
the milk itself became infected, this being
treated as il it was matter about which
no question would arise. And as q matter
of fact the agency Of milk in spreading
epidemics has long been subject OF specu-
lation and comment in the English papers.
For long time it has been held that dis
eases were induced by using the milk OF i'm
properly-fed cows-as, for example, cows
mainly nourished on distiilery slops-and
the authorizations OF milk to extend its guam
tity or give it an appearance Of richness are
suspected Of causing illness; but, although
doctors have considered these pecu-
liar conditions with much seriousness,
it has not generally been regarded
probable, or even possible, that milk
coming from farm-houses II which some
member Of the family had contagious
or infectious fever was medium for spread
not 90 far toward accounting for the sudden
and heretofore unexplained breaking-out Of
epidemics in cities, and suggest an inquiry
in such cases as to the relations Of the fami-
lies in which it appears to given milkman's 8
route? We are accustomed to inspection c.
milk when it arrives in the city to deter
mine whether or not it has been adulterated
before it is peddled out.
The inspection which alone Will give any
assurance of security from dreadful evils
must be at the farms from which the milk
comes, and must investigate not only the
health of the cattle, the quality Of their food
and drink, the existence or absence OF fever
breeding malarias that might poison the
milk, but also the health OF the family and
the conditions OF drainage, ETC., OF the
farmhouse. In England there is sensi-
tiveness in respect of this subject which has
led to the organization in London OF a
dairy cempany-the Aylesbury Dairy
Company it is called-which has insti-
tuted an organized system of sanitary in
specton OF the farms from which the milk
is obtained, and which employs corps of
skilled sanitary officers, including medi-
cal board OF high repute, and a competent
inspector, by whom the farms and dairies
are supervised and the milk analyzed, so
that they are able to guarantee to their GUS
toners the utmost practicable security in
this respect--Bostan Advertiser.