Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-20
HOUSE, FARM AND GARDEN.
Impure Water and Milk,


Impure Water and Milk.
DR.. 3. P. Miller, in paper read
before the Farmers Institute meeting,
Fitchburg, Mass, upon the subject Of inn
pure water for cows as affecting the milk,
as reported in the Connecticut Fdgmsr,
held the following:
In February, 1876, there came an cpl
demic ortyphoid fever in Eagley, Eng
land. The history of this epidemic is so
interesting, and the agency Of milk in
causing it is so clearly proved that
condensed narration seems justi6able.
The population Of Eagley district mum
bered 1926 persons living in 31s dwell
ings. During the last Of 1875 and early
of 1876 Eagley had been comparatively
free from fever or other illness. January
80, 1876, there were attacked with typh-!
old fever fourteen families and twenty
persons. In the next six days 103 addi-
tional persons were attacked. Then the
outbreak began to decline. Between
February So twentyeight more were
attacked. Between February 9-15 fifteen
more, and to the end Of February there
were thirteen fresh attacks In March
there were three new cases, and in April
one. In all there were 1875 cases in sixty
three Households with thirteen deaths.
in apopulation Of 1925. Itseemed that
some specific cause for this sudden out
break in a previously healthy region
must be found.
On investigation it was discovered
that fifty families in Eagiey were
supplied with milk from a particular dairy
and that of these tifty-tive were attacked
with fever, while Of 26l families supplied
from other sources only eight were attack
| ed. But even these eight gave addition
al evidence against this particular dairy.
For in six Of the eight families the mem
bers attacked had pertaken at neighbours
houses Of the milk in question. In another
of the eight the disease was not positively
known to be typhoid fever, and in the
last of the eight exceptional cases the
| fever was traced to the use of infected
drinking water.
Further, in several instances persons
not resident within the area of the milk
supply were attacked by the fever after
visiting friends in Eagley and partaking
of this particular milk. To make the
evidence still stronger it was proved that
of the habitual drinkers Of the milk in
its raw state very large per cent. were
attacked. AS regards the milk itself, it
was almost unanimously voted poor, and
many complained that it had an undue
tendency to become sour. Towards the
end of January, 1866, it was generally
noted that something was wrong with
the milk; it turned sour almost at once,
and is described as having been of
peculiar color, to have tasted unpleasant
! ly, and even to have smelled Extensively.
In many instances the milk after standing,
left at the bottom Of the vessel containing
it a sediment variously described as grit,
sand, or. dirt. The above named evidence
seemed conclusive that milk from the
dairy in question was concerned in the
dissemination of fever. But about one
half the milk from this dairy was retailed
in Bolton, two or three miles distant, and
to quote from the medicinal officers of
Bolton, wherever in Bolton this milk
had been consumed there also had been
fever"
| Atfrst the actual milk of some COW was
suspected by the people of the region as
having contained the fever material, but
finally the water used for dairy purposes
was settled upon as the origin Of the evil.
The farm house was situated on a hillside,
and depended for its water supply on
brook which had formerly supplied other
dwellings besides the farm house. But
| the building of large mill near the
course of the brook had led to such
obvious detilement of the brook that all
families but two discontinued using it.
Of these, one was attacked by fever and
the other escaped by boiling the water.
Still, it was used for all dairy purposes.
In. this water were found large quantities
of volatile matter, ammonia, and chlorine,
pointing to contamination of this
water with animal matter Of apparently
excremental origin. While it was not
proved that the milk had been actually
diluted with this water, it is enough to
observe that the foul brook water was
the only water used on the farm for dairy
purposes.