104: Report ok the Department of Bacteriology ok the 



In cases of inflammation of the udder the germ content is fre- 

 quently, if not always, markedly increased. 



Relation of bacterial count to the age of the cow. — The age 

 is unknown in the case of some of the cows whose udder con- 

 tent has been studied, but the results from 1,085 of the samples, 

 arranged according to the ages of the cows, are given in Table 

 VIII. 



Table VIII. — Average Bacterial Content of Udders of Cows of Different 



Ages. 



It will be noted that the irregular results shown in years 2, 6, 

 10 and 11 are associated with a small number of samples from 

 a small number of cows. It is manifest that under such condi- 

 tions the individual peculiarities of the cows would be most evi- 

 dent. The average of 2,434 for the eleventh year represents four 

 samples from a single cow and cannot be considered as a represen- 

 tative average. This same cow furnished a part of the samples for 

 the preceding year and the average of these samples was 303. 

 The samples from the other cow were even lower so that the 

 average for the tenth year is one of the lowest of the series. 



Taken all in all, the above table does not offer satisfactory evi- 

 dence that the age of the cow has any distinct influence upon the 

 germ content of the udder. 



Other factors. — Of the factors influencing the udder content in- 

 flammation is one commonly considered in public health work. 

 It is a matter of general knowledge that inflamed udders commonly 

 have high germ contents and such udders have been located through 

 the organisms which are abundant in their secretions. Since in- 

 flammation is a pathological condition it has not been intentionally 



