Gas and Taint in Cheese Curd. 227 



examinations of the udders are of special significance in reference 

 to the source of the bacterial infection of milk, a brief statement 

 concerning them seems desirable. 



In January, 1898, Dr. Cooper Curtice, inspector for the State 

 Board of Health, invited us to be present at the killing of a herd 

 of cattle which had responded to the tuberculin test. The 

 udders of six cows, all of which were in good condition were 

 carefully examined. The post-mortem examination showed the 

 tubercular lesions to be restricted to a few small nodules in the 

 bronchial and pharyngeal glands. The cows were milked just 

 prior to being killed. Specimens of the fore milk were taken. 

 Each quarter of the six udders together with the milk specimens 

 from each were examined bacteriologically.* The possible criti- 

 cism that these animals were tuberculous does not seem to 

 detract from the results as the cows were in good condition and 

 the obvious lesions were, as already stated, restricted to a few 

 tubercular foci. After making the cultures the udders were 

 ver}^ carefully examined for tubercular or other lesions, but they 

 could not be found. For convenience in noting results the gland 

 was divided arbitrarily into three parts as follows : (A) The 

 lower third including the teat and cistern ; (B) The middle third 

 which included the lower half of the gland proper, and (C) the 

 upper third, which included the remaining portion of the gland. 

 (See plate.) 



The same species of bacteriaf were found in the fore milk, 

 cistern and middle and upper thirds of the udder from each ani- 

 mal. It should be remembered that the examinations were made 

 almost immediatel}^ after the cows had been milked dr}'. In 

 some instances the same organism was found in each part ( A. 

 B. C.) of a quarter of a gland, while in others, the bacteria 

 were more irregularly distributed. The cultures made from 

 the tissues from the middle and upper thirds of a few quar- 



*The methods employed were those ordinarily used in milk analysis. The 

 description of the details and an account of the results of the examination 

 from each individual quarter of the glands are held for a future publication 

 on the bacterial invasion of the normal udder. 



tThe predominating form was a micrococcus which grew in a yellow or 

 buff colored colonv. 



