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distant sources, a careful examination failed to find
evidence of any micro-organism in any one sample which
which was not common to other samples derived from cows
reported by the Veterinary Expert to be in perfect health.
(3) I satisfied myself that the employees of the infected
supply had not been spreading the complaint by reason
of any one of them suffering from a bad sore throat at the
period when the outbreak commenced.
(4) Lastly, with reference to the precautions taken for the
safe storage and delivery of milk, I found that these were
quite satisfactory—indeed, they were in many respects
exceptional as to care and stringency.
Conclusions.—In my opinion the outbreak was in all probability
due to the two cows which were suffering from an
obscure condition of ill-health towards the middle of
January. Although the evidence of the cows' ill-health
was not manifest at the time, and although, doubtless,
their milk would have been collected and distributed by
any milk vendor, yet, slight as the symptoms were, the
milk yielded by these two animals contained the material
which was responsible for the outbreak. These outbreaks
are very regrettable, and, in my opinion, nothing short
of a veterinary inspection of the cows, undertaken at very
short intervals, more especially through the autumn and
winter months, will prevent them; and it is a singular
circumstance that since I have been Medical Officer of
Health for the Fitichley District, the only two such outbreaks
which have been experienced were in connection
with the milk supply of two large Companies
which doubtless take exceptional precautions to guard
the health interest of their customers.