The morning call., 1893-10-05
FEVER FROM MILK.
Forty-Four Children Sick
in an Asylum.
INsIDIOUs GERMS.
Good Templar Orphans Stricken Down
by Drinking Infected rlilk and
Five Lose Their,Lives.

Mr.. r. THOMPSON. who Is attorney for
the Good Templars' Home for Orphans.
returned last Saturday from a short visit
to that institution, near Vallejo. and now
he is Investigating the causes that made
a hospital of the orphanage and played
fearful havoc among the youthful inmates.
AS many as forty-four children were at
tackled by a virulent form OF fever within
two weeks after the first case was noticed.
Every morning IN this brief interval the
names, anc examination invariably re-
suited in finding the absent ones helpless
and burning with fever. Soon one dormi-
tory became hospital ward, with its
physicians and nurses. The children were
all placed under regimen. nothing was left
undone to save them, nevertheless fivs lit
tie orphans succumbed to the epidemic.
The worst is over, however, for the physi-
clans who took charge of the young
patients say that all are out OF danger,
though twenty-four are still very feeble
and barely able to lit their heads from
their pillows.
''Such an insidious attack as that which
has just visited the Templars' Urphanage
is one OF the most alarming ever known
in Californian Institutions" said Mr..
Thompson yesterday. "The doctors and
managers were at their wits ends to cope
with it. and, strange as it may appear, the
real cause was discovered by the matron.
The children were poisoned by cows milk
taken from cows on the asylum farm.
"The home is situated at Vallejo on a
rising ground that slopes away to the
waters edge. You would never dream
that an epidemic OF typhoid fever could
settle on such a healthful spot. and. in
deed, we didn't. Well, everybody there
was perfectly healthy, when suddenly the
epidemic broke out about the 1st of Sep
temDer. We we're all greatly puzzled.
none more so than the regular physician
of the home and its officers. Naturally it
was laid to defective plumbing or santa
tion. So an expert plumber was engaged
to examine the sanitary arrangements.
which he did carefully. Judge of the
surprise created when he reported per-
feet sanitary system, from which. accord
ing 10 best information on the subject, no
disease could emau ate.
''The doctor declared 1t was some fail
ing in the food. and then he took turn at
inspectlon. No change was made in the
daily diet, but, like the plumber, he could
find no reason to complain. and still less
to blame the food. Plenty of milk was
the doctors order. Give all the children
plenty OF milk
"This was to strengthen the children
and prevent If possible an attack of fever
or OF least arrest its ravages.
But the physicians instructions were
the very innocent agent of spre aiding
disease. because the milk was impregnated
with germs Of typhoid. and the more chill
drrn drank il the more became its victims.
Day by day youngsters succumbed, and be-
fore any real good could be done i've were
dead.
''1t was the matron who discovered what
ciolyo pod ha 10 oh ba
dently been reading about milk containing
typhoid poison the story of Oakland,
when people were sick in every block
from drinking infected milk and water.
So she made an investigation on her
own account. and found that the cows had
gone down into a marshy ground below
the home. and there contracted disease
themselves. The sewage from the nstitu-
ton escapes from the sewer down in this
low place and flows toward the water,
causing rich grass to grow wherever il
touches the soil. The cows used to eat
this grass greedily, and / believe they
drank the dirty water, and so c0mmuni-
Gated disease through their milk. Any
how they were removed to another field.
Milk was procured from a farmer and
theirs thrown away. From the day the
change was made not anoiner new case of |
typboid-that is after allO wing for an in |
cubating period previously-was detected. |
ID0 children steadily maintained their |
health and the patients began 10 improve. |
"When l left the home there were |
twenty four children still very sick In bed, !
though improving slowly. The other con-
valescents are able TO come downstairs |
and lie on the sunny porch for few |
hours or sleep around the matron's room, |
bat all the life seems to have gone out of |
them. They are listless and weak from
the vlrulent attack.
The doctor tells me the cows could not |
the disease through their |
milk. His theory is that they waded |
through the soft mud infected by sewage,
and that some of the dcleterous matter
adhered to their udders and was subse-
quentiy drawn into the milk. 1t is an in
teresting question, anyhow, and / would
like to hear what medical men have to say
on the subject"
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