Gas and Taint in Cheese Curd. 223 



from retained placenta. This investigation promised to throw 

 some light upon the relationship of the alleged cause to the 

 trouble. The outcome is not altogether conclusive concerning 

 the possible initiative significance of the retained placentas, but 

 as it offers many suggestions relating to the actual source of the 

 special taints in question, a report of progress seems desirable. 

 This is made the more urgent from the fact that the taints in the 

 milk from this particular factory were pronounced by Instructor 

 Hall, and by others, to be the same as those which are causing 

 the greatest amount of trouble in the factories throughout the 

 State. 



In the case in question, the factory was furnished with the 

 milk from two dairies ; one of these belonged to the owner of 

 the factory and farm on which it stood, and the other to a 

 neighbor. The dairy on the farm and in which the parturition 

 trouble occurred, consisted of twenty -five cows. During the 

 winter of '96-' 97 the cows had been given a heavy grain diet. 

 The animals were housed in a comfortable stable which was kept 

 clean from the standpoint of the present popular ideas of stable 

 cleanliness. They were all in good condition. The factory 

 opened late in March, as early as there was sufficient milk, and 

 the curd was of the finest quality. It so happened a little later? 

 that at the time of parturition, the placenta or afterbirth, was 

 retained by eleven of the cows. As these were not properly 

 attended by a veterinarian, the retained membranes were not 

 removed but allowed to decompose in utero and to be discharged. 

 This gave rise to an intensely disagreeable (putrid) odor about 

 the stable. Soon after this happened, the peculiar taints in the 

 milk with ' ' gassy ' ' curd began to appear. 



The cause of the trouble was at once attributed to the cows 

 which discharged the retained and decomposing placentas. It 

 was to ascertain, if possible, whether or not this was the cause, 

 that the present investigation was undertaken. Unfortunately, 

 the trouble had been going for several weeks before it came to our 

 notice and, meantime, the affected cows had recovered, but the 

 tainted and "gassy " curds continued to appear and to cause a 

 serious depreciation in the value of the cheese. 



