London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Wimbledon 1909

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wimbledon]

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been closely associated, must soon have become also involved.
The assumption that the infected milk of one or
more of these heifers after being: distributed on June 7th,
8th, 9th, and 10th, was for one reason or another not distributed
on the 11th and 12th, but that it and the milk of
other cows which had now become infected was sent to the
depot after that date until the time of stopping the supply
from the depot, would afford a satisfactory explanation of
the phenomena of the outbreak."
From the exhaustive evidence contained in the report, it
would appear conclusive that the epidemic was due to the milk
when given by the cow being infected, and it confirms the
opinion formed by Dr. W. H. Power in his report to the Local
Government Board of 1885 on "The relations between Scarlatina
in various districts in London and milk supplied from
a Dairy Farm at Hendon," in which he said, together with
Dr. Cameron and Dr. Klein:—
"Our belief in the existence on this farm of a constitutional
disease among the cows competent to produce
Scarlatina among human consumers of the cow's milk was
now becoming unreserved. The identity of the disease
and its more obvious characters and its communicability
appeared to have been demonstrated. Also in the
phenomena of the disease itself, Dr. Klein found reason
for regarding it as more than a local complaint affecting
the skin of the teats and udders. He regarded it as a
general or constitutional disease; one that might, probably
enough, be communicable from cow to cow."

CASES OF SCARLET FEVER

(Notified from June 17th to June 23rd) giving details as to Notification, Onset of Illness, &c.,of those where the Milk supplied by Dairymen A, B, C was obtained from a wholesale infected milk supply.

No.Age.Sex.Date ofMilkman.
Notification.Onset of Illness.Sickness (if any)Rash.A, B & C.
17M.June 17June 17June 17June 17A
2M.„ 1814„ 14„ 16A
39F.„ 1816„ 16„ 17A
411F.„ 18„ 16„ 17„ 18A
57F.„ 18„ 15„ 15„ 15A
One case notified—no connection with outbreak.