Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-06-18
Impure Water Affecting Milk.

From paper read by DIR. +. p. Miller be-
fore recent meeting of the Farmers Insti-
tute, Fitchburg, Mass, we CLEAN the fol-
lowing:
ain February, 1876, there came an cpl
demc or typhoid fever in Eagley, England.
The history of this epidemic is SO interest
ing, and the agency of milk in causing it is
so clearly proved, that condensed narration
seems justi6able. The population of Eagley
district numbered sixteen hundred and TWEEN
ty-fve persons living in three hundred and
eighteen houses. During the last of 1875
and early days of 1876 Eagley had been
comparatively free from fever or other i'll
ness. January Both, 1876, there were at
tackled with typhoid fever fourteen families,
and twenty persons. In the next six days
one hundred and three additional persons
were attacked. Then the outbreak began
to decline. Between February 9th and 9th
twenty-eight more were attacked. Between
February 9th and 18th, 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 one hundred and ninety-five cases in
sixty-three households, with thirteen deaths,
in population of sixteen hundred and
twenty-five. 1t seemed that some specific
cause for this sudden outbreak Of disease in
a previously healthy region must be found.
"On investigation it was discovered that
ifty-seven families in Eagey were supplied
with milk from particular dairy, and that
of these fifty-fve were attacked with fever,
while of two hundred and sixty-one families
supplied from other sources only eight were
attacked. But even these eight give addi-
tional evidence against this particular dairy.
For in six of the eight families the members
attacked had partaken at the neighbors'
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 unan-
imously noted poor, and many complained
that it had an undue tendency to become
sour. Towards the end of January, 1876, 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 unpleasantly,
and even to have smelled Extensively. In
many instances the milk, after standing,
left at the bottom of the vessel containing
it sediment variously described as grit,
sand or dirt. The above 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
medical officer of health of Bolton, wherever
in Bolton this milk had been consumed
there also had there been fever
At first the actual milk of some COW was
suspected by the people of the region as hav-
ing contained the fever material. But,
finally, the water used for dairy purposes
was settled upon as the origin of the evil.
The farmhouse was situated on the hillside
and depended for its water supply on brook
which had formerly supplied other dwell
ings beside the farmhouse. But the build
ing of a large mill near the course of the
brook had led to such defilement of the
water 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 pur-
poses. In this water were found large
amounts of volatile matter, ammonia and
chlorine, pointing to contamination of this
water with animal matter of apparently ex-
cremental origin. While it was not proved
that the milk had been actually diluted with
water, it is enough to observe that the foul
brook water was the only water used on the
farm for dairy purposes"