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porridge, except in a very few instances, where raw milk was taken instead
of tea. As a precautionary measure, both schools were advised to use no
unboiled milk until the position had become clearer. Inspection of the school
registers showed that in school A cases of tonsilitis had occurred since May
25th, and in school B since May 22nd; by this stage of enquiry (June 9th),
17 boys at school A and 24 girls at school B were known to have had
tonsilitis. Some of these were not boarders, and as day-pupils would not
receive milk at school. These might have been infected by personal contact;
or it was conceivable that dairy X supplied milk to their homes. Some lived
outside Croydon, but enquiry at the houses of a number of those living
within Croydon showed that they also received their milk from dairy X,
and drank it without previous boiling.
Simultaneous enquiry of practitioners practising in the district showed
that a considerable number of puzzling cases of tonsilitis had been observed
with or without peculiar rashes in South Croydon and particularly in the
adjoining areas of Sanderstead and Purley. Many of those with anomalous
rashes were regarded as cases of rose measles, while others were thought
to be influenza, which was considered to be very prevalent in the district.
Enquiry showed that in a number of these—in all, in fact, which it was
possible under the circumstances to investigate—the milk came from the
same source, viz., dairy X. Both children and adults were affected, though
the majority of the cases appeared to have been children; it is impossible
to give any exact data on this point, or on the total number of cases
involved. The number of cases of tonsilitis must have amounted in all to
some hundreds. One practitioner, for example, had had "about seventy
cases," another "about forty." The cases appear to have been noticed first
about the middle of May, or possibly somewhat earlier. There had been
no material increase in the number of cases of scarlet fever notified, beyond
that consonant with the ordinary weekly variations frequently encountered
in this disease; while, owing to the difficulty frequently experienced in ascertaining
which particular branch dairy of the larger firms, with names common
to all branches, actually supplies a given household, no suspicion had arisen at this stage of any particular milk supply.