Dr S. Monckton Copeman's report on an outbreak of enteric fever in the borough of Harwich and its neighbourhood, 1912-13.

  • Sydney Copeman
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr S. Monckton Copeman's report on an outbreak of enteric fever in the borough of Harwich and its neighbourhood, 1912-13. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/22 page 11
    quently paid visits to his relatives living in the villa all probability was thus indirectly and unwittingly for their subsequent attack by the disease. go, and in responsible Distribution of Implicated Milk Supply. % Milking at farm No. 1 took place about 4.30 a.m. and again about 1 p.m. each day, about 20 gallons of milk being produced in the morning and from 10-11 gallons in the afternoon. As soon as milking was finished, on either occasion, the milk was trans- ported to farm No. 2, from which it was distributed, with the exception of a small amount which was “ separated ” in order to obtain cream for butter making. At farm No. 1, where the cows were kept, there was no dairy. No intentional differentiation was made of milk from one or another of the cows, the pails, as filled, being immediately emptied into the utensils in which they were carried to farm No. 2. Thence, about half the morning supply was despatched to Parkeston, arriving at Parkeston Station at 5.15 a.m. for the supply of the Continental boat trains and the hotel. The greater quantity of that portion of G.’s milk going to Parkeston was supplied under contract to the Great Eastern Railway Company, the actual amount during the year 1912 averaging about 11 gallons per day> or about one-third of G.’s total supply. This amount would be distributed in about the following* proportions: — 1J gallons Parkeston Hotel. If ,, Refreshment Rooms, Parkeston Station. 3 ,, (one gallon each) York, and Hook of Holland, and Antwerp trains restaurant cars. 5 ,, Hook of Holland and Antwerp boats. 11 gallons. This supply having been delivered the “ float ” was then driven back to farm No. 2. The driver having changed both horse and cart, left again for a round in Harwich and Dovercourt, so timing his departure as to arrive at the Great Eastern Hotel at Harwich (his first point of call) at about T a.m. The amount of milk taken by the hotel, however, was comparatively small, probably never exceeding, as I learnt from the manager, more than one gallon per day. It may be mentioned in passing that no cases of enteric fever have been reported from this hotel, owing, in all probability, to the fact that immediately the first cases were reported in the neighbourhood the manager insisted on all milk brought into the hotel being boiled before use. As regards the route covered by the remainder of the round in Harwich and Dovercourt, much difficulty was, in the first in- stance, experienced owing to the refusal of information by the executor of the late owner of the milk business. Eventually, how- ever, a fairly complete list of milk customers was obtained, which
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