THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1880. CONTAGION IN MILK.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2118, 7 December 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1880. CONTAGION IN MILK.

The report of the Medical Officer of the Hoard of Health, presented at the meeting of that body yesterday, shows the necessity for prompt action in the matter of preventing the spread of typhoid contagion. It has been the habit to attribute the outbreak in any particular locality of typhoid fever to disregard of sanitary precautions. Doubtless in a large number of instances this was the cause, but Dr. Nedwill reverts to what he has before dilated on—namely, the spread of typhoid through the milk used by a household. His attention, it would appear from his report, was directed to the fact that, out of sixteen families in which the existence of typhoid fever had been reported, nine were supplied with milk by the same man. He consequently paid a visit of inspection to this dairy farm. What ho saw there he describes in his report to the Board, and we think all will agree with ns that the information thus acquired was sufficient at all events to raise a strong suspicion that the milk to some extent had been the cause of the disease. This is rendered more probable, because Dr. Nedwill was unable to trace any local causo of disease at the dwellings of the persons affected. Ho was, therefore, in the absence of such breach of the sanitary laws on the premises reported, coupled with what he discovered at the .farm, led up to the conclusion that tho milk was the probable cause. He has, therefore, again recommended that the Board should apply to the Government for power to license and inspect dairies. The possession of this power by the Board would enable them to enforce such regulations as might be considered necessary. When we reflect upon the vast amount of mischief which might occur through the neglect of precautions, it will at once be seen how very necessary it is that the Board should take action. More particularly with regard to children, milk enters largely into their daily food, and their constitutions, being still tender, are less able to resist the first insidious attacks of the disease. An epidemic might at any moment break out, which no amount of care or precaution as to sanitary appliances could prevent. It is to avert such evil as this that we advocate tho licensing by the Board of Health of dairies, and placing them under inspection. The officers of the Board would then take care that necessary precautions were observed to prevent the milk from being impregnated with sewage poison. At present there exists not only an unsatisfactory hut a highly dangerous state of matters. We know not where or in how many parishes disease thus communicated may break out. The Board of Health, we believe, some time back applied to tho Government for power to license and inspect daries, but it was not considered at that time necessary to grant it. Now, however, that tho matter has again come to tho front, wo hope that the renewal of the application, which the Board will of course make without delay, will be attended by practical results, and that the Board will obtain the power sought for.