The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-03-21
Typhoid IN MILK.

ASFh0AO ~
There are reasons other than those us
ually assigned why dairies should be rig
idly inspected. Cleanliness, so far as the
act of milking is concerned; a pure water
supply for the cattle, and the proper
food for them, are not the only requisites
in dairy to insure wholesome milk
supply They are not the only objects
to which the milk inspector should have
his attention carefully drawn, says the
Times Star. BY confning himself to
these requisites alone dairy inspector
in the city of Springfield, Mass, is indi-
rectly responsible for an epidemic of ty-
phoid fever of not less than $50 cases, in
which twenty-five proved fatal, The
milk itself as taken from the COW was
all right, but before it reached the milk
mans customers, through the washing
of vessels in which it was confined, in
water that contained the germs of the
deadly disease, an epidemic broke out.
a similar epidemic broke out in
Montclair, N. j., last, year, tracable di-
rectly to the well water in which the
milk cans had been cleansed. The well
from which the water was drawn was
found to have a direct communication
with a vault and member of the dairy.
mans family had been suffering a ty-
phoid attack. Another epidemic oc.
cured in Waterbury, Conn.
Last July an epidemic of typhoid fever
broke out in the little village of Bayhead,
n. j., near Barnegat bay, which in sum-
mer time had population of about 200
and the year around is regarded as in
excellent sanitary condion. A careful
investigation has been made into the
causes and origin of the Bayhead
epidemic. 1t has been found that the
first case was that of dairyman who
had come with small herd of COWS to
Bayhead the month before the epidemic
bl oke out: that although he was Ill from
July l, he was able to milk and
care for his COWS until July IL, when
he took to his bed. The second
case attracted attention on July IA,
and before the end of the month there
we're fifteen in all. 1t was ascertained
that all of these fifteen persons had been
consumers of milk supplied by dealer
to whom the milk of the COWS belonging
to the first patient was regularly sold.
This dealer also delivered milk supplied
from one other source, but it was quite
clearly proved by the inquiry that the
milk from the first patients COW had been
delivered to the families in which the dis
ease afterward appeared. In the family
with which this first patient lived there
were no cases, and it was ascertained that
no member of it had used milk from
his herd. The second case appeared
Just two weeks after the first symptoms
of his illness were noticed, and the last
case Just nineteen days after he was com
PEELED to stop milking his COWS. One of
the victims took the milk only with hom-
my at breakfast; another only with ber-
ries at supper, and another, cook, sim
ply tasted the milk when it was received
in the morning.
1t may not be practicable to have all
milk sterilized before it reaches the con-
sumner, but it is practicable to have dair-
les so thoroughly inspected as to sur
and the health of those who
handle the milk, as to prevent such epi-
denies as those just mentioned. The ex-
pense of such inspections would be a
bagatelle, when compared with the aw-
full cost of a siege of typhoid fever in any
community.