Cause and Prevention of Scarlet Fever.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 247, 20 October 1886, Page 4

Cause and Prevention of Scarlet Fever.

A RKi'ORT has just bci>n issued by tho Mptlical Officer of tho Local Government Board, tho importance of which, as regards tho etiolofry and prevention of a widespread infectious disease, deserves the moßt careful attention of sanitary officers and tho genoral public a'iike. Hitherto the genoral assumption prevailed that infection with "scarlet foyer Ims always had its origin from tho human subject, that is to say, that scarlot fevor ia always transmitted to tho human subject from a human being affected with the malady, either by direct contagion in its wider senso or through milk, croam, etc , previously contaminated with the contagium derived from a human sourco. In the present report we have an account of an extensive outbreak of scarlot fevor in the north of London at the end of lost and tho beginning of the present year among tho consumers of milk derived from a particular format Hendon. Tho first part of the report of the medical officer contains an account by Wi H. Power, Inspector to tho Medical Department of tho Local Govornment Board, of an investigation into this outbreak, and the evidence brought forward by Mr Power is absolute and conclusive ; it prove?, by a chain of circumstantial evidence as complete as can bo wished, that this particular outbreak of scarlatina upfl3 transmitted by milk which could not havo boen previously contaminated from a human

Moreover, Mr Powor proves that certain milch con?, rocently added to (ho dairy and affected with a particular malady, wore the EOu^^from which tho contagium had boon (lerrfßl ; further, that as this malady once introduced by a fow cows into the dairy pproail toother milch cows, ro tho amount of milk containing the contagium, and ako the number of cases of scarlatina among the consumors increased, and as the milk supply was discontinued so the spread of scarlet fever abated.

The malady with which tho coW3 wore affected consisted chiefly in a particular kind of ulceration of the teats aud udder, and perhaps some slight cutaneous disorder. As regards the general health, the feeding and milking capacity, the cowe seemed to present very little altoration.

The second part of the report contains an account by Dr. Klein of the minute pathology and etiology of this cow disease. In the first place, Dr. Klien ascertained that the local disease on the teats and udder is inoculable in its specific character into healthy calves; secondly, that the cows affected by the local disease of the udder and teats were at the same time affected with a disease of the viscera, as proved by the post-mortem examination, in many respects similar to a mild form of scarlet fever in tho human subject.

From the ulcers of the cow l»r. Klein isolated by cultivation a streptococcus or chain-micrococcus, possessed of distinct and special character?, both as to morphology and mode of growth in various nutritive media, particularly in milk ; in this latter it grows in a peculiar manner, and very luxuriantly. With artificial cultures of this streptococcus a disease was produced in calves by subcutanoous inoculation, which beara a striking resemblance to scarlet fever in man. The conclusion is thus forced on us that this streptococcus is identical with the muteries morhi ; further, that the scar latina produced in the human subject by the consumption of milk from the Hendon farm, was an experiment carried out, on a large Bcale, of infection with a cultivation in milk of the above streptococcus; and lastly, that the milk of the cows affected with the specific ulcers of tho teats and udders became charged with the contagium by the hands of the milker during the act of milking. Although there are many details still wanting to complete tho research, particularly those regarding the transmissibility of scarlatina from the human subject to the cow, there is sufficient at band already to warrant the hope that by a proper and effectual mode of superintending milk farms, it will be possible to considerably limit this dire scourge. A suggestion that at once presents itself is thia: Granted that the above-mentioned streptococcus is the real cause of the malady, there is no reason to doubt that boiliDg the milk would effectually destroy its life and infective power, just as is the case with micrococei. True, the danger to contract scarlatina would thereby not be altogether annihilated, since cream cannot thus be disinfected, and since scarlet fever can unquestionably be contracted from a human Bource ; but it must be obvious from this conclusive report that milk per se coming from an-infected cow plays a considerable role in conveying scarlatina from the cow to tho human subject.—" Nature."

A Rare Chance.—Cole— "Say, old fellow, what have you got your winter overcoat on to-day for?" Boggs—"Well, I've got the chills, and my wife thought it a good time to shake the moths out."

Mr G. W. Griffin, US. Consul at Sydney, acknowledging receipt of a copy of tha "New Zealand Farmer," writes: "I very much tl.ank you for the copy ol your in. teresting and valuable paper. It is one of the beet agricultural journals in the colonies. The classification of- the matter it simply admirable. lam amazed at the superb style in which it U printed."