The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-07-24
HOUSE, FARM AND GARDEN.
Impure Water and Milk.

dOUSE, FARM AND GARDEN.
Impure Water and Milk.
DIR. E. P. Miller, IN a paper read
before the Farmers Institute meeting
Fitchburg, Mass, upon the subject of i'm
pure water for COWS as affecting the milk.
as reported in the Connecticut Farmer,
held the following:
In February, 1876, there came an cpl
dcmic or typhoid fever in Eaglev, Eng
land. The history of this epidemic IS SO
interesting, and the agency Of milk in
causing it is SO clearly proved thu a
condensed narration seems justlHaolc.
The population Of Eagley district num-
bered 1895 persons living in 31s dwell
ings. During the last Of 1876 and carly
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 twenty-cight more were
tatackcd. 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 I'LL there were 1875 cases in sixty.
three houschoulds' with thirteen deaths
in apopulation of 1925. 1t seemed thai
some specific cause for this sudden out
break in Il previously healthy region
must be found.
On investigation it was discovered
that tifty-sevcn families in Eaglcy wcr'
supplied with milk from particular dair.
and that of these ffty-fve 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
bcrs attacked had pertaken at ncighbor'
houses of the milk in question. In anothc
Of the eight the disease was not positivcl,
known to be typhoid fever, and in TIL
last Of the eight exceptional cases thu
fever was traced to the use of infected
drinking water.
| Further, in several instances person
not resident within the area of the mil
supply were attacked by the fever afte
visiting friends in Eag!cy and partakin
Of this particular milk. To make tn
evidence still stronger it was proved tia
Of the habitual drinkers of the milk i
its raw state Il very large per cent. wei
attacked. AS regards the milk itself,
was almost unanimously voted poor, an
: many complained that it had IN undu
tendency to become sour. Towards I'll
end of January, 1866, il was general
noted that something was wrong wit
the milk; it turned sour almost ut one
and is described rs having been OF
peculiar color, to have tasted unpleasant
ly, and even to have smcllcd otfcnsivcl
In many instances the milk after standln
left at the bottom of the vessel containin
it !; sediment variously described as gri
:, sand, or dirt. The above named cvidcn'
seemed conclusive that milk from Il
dairy in question was concerned in til
: dissemination of fever. But about on
l half the milk from this dairy was rctail'
in Bolton, two or three miles distant, Al
. to quote from the medicinal officers
: Bolton, wherever in Bolton this mi
had been consumed there also had be-
fever
At first the actual milk Of some COW W
suspected by the people Of the region
having contained the fever material, b
> finally the water used for dairy purpos
was settled upon as the origin Of the ev
The farm house was situated on hillsi<
s and depended for its water supply on
S brook which had formerly supplied 9th
dwellings besides the farm house -
: the building OF a large mill near Il
q course Of the brook had lee. TO ALI
II obvious dctilcmcnt of tile brook that
: families but two discontinued using
OF these, one was attacked by fever II
= the other escaped by boiling the wat
Il Still, it was used for all dairy purpos'
c In this water were found large quantiti
l. of volatile matter, ammonia, and chloril
II pointing to contamination OF tt
: : water with animal matter of apparent
q cxcrcmental origin. While it was /
J. proved that the milk had been actual
e diluted with this water, it is enough
&c observe that the foul brook water "
. the only water used on the farm for tai
IS purposes.