The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1898-10-01
Dirty MIX Danrerous.

G.. 3. Marshall. in an address 20
Michigan farmers, said: Diphtheria
has been conveyed through milk sup
plies. A single illustration will suffice
to give the importance of this avenue
Of transmission. In a certain large
city a milkman noticed that his throat
was sore, but did not consider it seri-
BUS. Not long after a little girl, be-
longing to a family obtaining milk
from this man, became sick with the
malignant form of d%iphtheria. A bac-
THEOLOGICAL examination revealed the
germs Of d%iphtheria in her throat, and
an examination Of the milkman's throat
demonstrated that he had been sick
with %diphtheria. The c%ontagion which
struck down the little girl in all prob
ability emanated from the milkman.
We have no unquestioned evidence that
diphtheria is ever transmitted through
the direct fundamentally Of cows. A
great deal of satisfactory proof could
be adduced to demonstrate that ty-
phoid fever is frequently carried by
milk. Within the last year a city Of
about 10000 Inhabitants was visited by
an epidemic of typhoid fever. After a
careful mapping out of the cases scat
tered rel the city and a study of
the milk routes, the health authorities
were able to accoun for over 80 per
cent Of typhoid fever patients, and
they were able to ascertain that they
all had obtained milk from a single
milk supply. Following the route
taken by this supply through the
streets of the city, 1t was noticed that
typhoid fever began at two corners
where this milkman had supplied milk
to other milkmen. Before the corners
were reached, the streets were free
from typhoid fever. This indicates that
the man who supplied this infected
street had pure milk until he reached
the corner and received some milk
from the contaminated supply; and
also that wherever and whenever this
man supplied milk to other milkmen,
their supplies became at once infec-
tious. Upon tracing out this contain
mated or infectious supply to Its source,
1t was found that the man had been
In the habit of washing his cans in a
small creek which flowed through his
back yard, and which farther up the
stream received sewage. The signifi-
n OF this typhoid fever epidemic
may be we'll understood when it is
learned that there were between one
and two thousand cases. The tyro-
toxicon victims are perhaps still fresh
In memory, for since its discovery by
VquOhan ne fha TIr5a~&x
cases hav come to light in the state
OF Michigan. In each instance the
cause has been definitely established
to be due to carelessness In the care
of the milk or the milk's surroundings.
The Evans case in the southern part
OF the state, where a whole family was
wiped out with the exception of the
father. bears testimony of its direful
effects. 1t should be remembered, too,
that the t~yro-toxicon is not the only
possible poison produced by the action
of germs upon milk; other poisons
equally intense have been isolated.
One other word about germs which
produce functional disturbances in
man, before leaving this subject. We
little realize what germs are capable of
doing until we study milk in connec-
ton with infant feeding. Cholera in
fantum and diarrhoeas Of infants have
been markedly reduced since milk used
In their feeding has been patseurized.
1t is claimed by a French authority
that in Paris alone infant mortality has
been reduced so per cent since pas
teurization was introduced. Bearing in
mind that pasteurization is not yet
universally adopted, we car well com
pfehend its value in connection with
infant feeding. Paris is not the only
city that can furnish records so favor.
able; New York and other cities are
equally fortunate.