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24
CONTAMINATED MILK.
In investigating an outbreak of Enteric Fever at some premises in the City
in April, 1907, it was found advisable to examine the milk supply.
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The establishment, which was a large one, was served with milk from three
separate sources, and samples were therefore taken from each and submitted
to Dr. Klein, who reported on them as under:—
"Re Samples of Milk Nos. 1, 2 and 3, received on April 18th.
"22nd April, 1907.
"The analyses were made by taking the whole of the sediment of each sample
"and inoculating with it the surface of two large Drigalski plates for each sample.
"Although abundance of colonies of B. coli and of streptococci developed in
these plates, there were no colonies that resembled either those of B. typhosus or
"of B. Gaertner.
"(Signed) E. KLEIN."
Although these samples showed the absence of the specific germ of Enteric
Fever, they indicated sewage pollution, and the dairymen were therefore asked
to furnish the names of the farms supplying them. This information was at
once given in two cases, but in the third the Dairy Company stated that it
was not possible to do so after the lapse of time. A further sample was
therefore taken, a duplicate being handed to the Company's representative at
the time. Dr. Klein's report on this sample was as follows:—
" Re Sample No. 4 of Milk received May 23rd.
"30th May, 1907.
"With the sediment of 300 c.c. made cultures for the detection of B. typhosus.
"(a) Drigalski plates.
" (b) Loffler's Malachite green Agar plates.
"In both these sets colonies appeared, which by their colour and appearance
"bore a resemblance to B. typhosus.
"From the Malachite green Agar plate a number of promising colonies were
"subcultured.
"Some of these gave striking agglutination with typhoid serum in dilation of
"1.50, but the character of the subcultures clearly proved that none of them are
"B. typhosus; their behaviour in shake gelatine (gas bubbles), in Neutral red broth
"(greenish fluorescent), in Lactose litmus peptone (red and gas), in Drigalski plate
"(red colonies)—clearly showed that we were dealing with some coli-like microbes.
"The result, then, is—that from the sediment of 300 c.c. of the above milk no
"B. typhosus was isolated.
"(Signed) E. KLEIN."