[Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Halifax County Borough.
- Halifax (England). County Borough Council. nb2008024085.
- Date:
- 1898
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: [Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Halifax County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
15/120 (page 13)
![*3 ascertain the milk supply in each case. In less than two hours we had the information that every one of the reported cases received milk from one or the other of two purveyors, Mr. Valentine and Mr. Fell, the latter being only a dealer, and living in the immediate neighbourhood. The Inspector called upon him first and satisfied himself that there was no cause of suspicion in Mr. Fell’s house. Enquiring of Mr. Fell as to his milk supply, the Inspector was informed that he received about five gallons a day from a Mr. Valentine, a farmer, living about a mile on the west side of the town, and a larger quantity also from a farmer in War]ey. The Inspector then visited the latter place and could find no trace of scarlet fever there. He then went to the farm of Mr. Valentine and found evidence of scarlet fever in several members of the family, who had been, or were ill, without any medical attendant. All this was reported to me at noon of the same day, and, accompanied by the Chief Inspector, I went at once to the farm, and found a boy, aged 13, fresh in the fever, had a good rash out and sore throat, &c., and going freely about the premises in and amongst the cows. Mr. Valentine himself was in bed with a sore throat, and Mrs. Valentine showed some signs of desquamation, although she stoutly denied having been ill. Besides the above there was an elder son aged 19, who took the milk to the town, and a farmer’s man, who did the milking and other work on the farm ; the latter had not com- plained of anything, but the elder son had had a very sore throat, and still kept to his Avork. Here, of course, was the source of all the mischief. Seeing that the farm- house was infected we decided to alloAV the milk to be sent to the town, under certain conditions, viz., that the farmer’s man and the elder son, Avho had the management O of the milk business, take lodgings in the neighbourhood,](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29406018_0015.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
