284 Bulletin 1Y8. 



Albany ; two, Group III, at Richfield Springs ; five, Group IV, 

 were made at Syracuse ; and four. Group V, near Elmira. 



Methods. 



The bacteriologic examinations of the udders have of necessity 

 been confined to tliose of tuberculous milch cows. But in no case 

 was the udder tuberculous or otherwise abnormal in appearance. 

 Whether or not a few tubercular lesions in organs far distant from 

 the udder bring about an abnormal invasion of the udder by bacteria 

 is a question which the writer, in the absence of evidence to the 

 contrary, is inclined to answer negatively. 



Just before slaughtering samples of the fore milk were taken and 

 the animals milked as. thoroughly as possible under the exciting 

 conditions surrounding theuL 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 includes the lower half of the gland proper, and (C) the upper 

 third, which includes the remaining portion of the gland. After 

 the cow was slaughtered the udder was carefully removed. The 

 skin was reflected and a flamed knife was used to make an incision 

 extending from the upper part of the udder to the cistern, and of 

 such depth as to expose tissues in the vicinity of the vertical axis of 

 the gland. Alcohol lamp, scalpels, curved scissors, tenaculum, 

 tweezers and platinum loop were found useful in this and in the 

 following proceedings. In making cultures from the glandular 

 tissue care was taken to prevent milk of the ventral region from 

 coming in contact with the freshly exposed surfaces which normally 

 lie above the cistern. Bits of tissue were detached with flamed 

 scissors and transferred to culture media by the use of a flamed 

 platinum looj) or tweezers. In some of the earlier examinations 

 made tubes of gelatin and slanted agar were inoculated in this 

 manner from each of the three arbitrarily designated divisions of the 

 quarter. Later, after it was recognized that bacteria are broadly 

 distributed in the udder, the use of slanted agar was discontinued, 

 as it did not permit of the isolation of species. 



Upon retnrning to the laboratory, the gelatin was liquefied at a 

 temperature not exceeding 37°C. and poured into sterile Petri 



