612 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



iag the type of flora. The sediment test is useful in that it shows the care 

 or lack of care used in handling the milk. ... As a rule the amount of gas 

 evolved by [the catalase test] is to a certain degree proportional to the number 

 of bacteria present. In this respect, however, it does not seem to be any 

 more efficient than the acid test. With cream the readings were much higher 

 than with whole milk. Its value as a means for determining the keeping 

 quality of milk is small." 



By comparing the reduction test and the number of cells present in 199 

 samples of whole milk, a coefficient of 0.7 with a probable error of about 0.04 

 was obtained, which shows that these 2 factors are strongly related in inverse 

 proportion. The reduction test is considered a better test for judging the 

 quality of milk than the sediment, catalase, or acid test. It is recommended as a 

 method to be used by the dairyman for judging the quality of milk on account 

 of the small amount of apparatus it requires and the ease and rapidity with 

 which it can be i)erformed. " It is not so apt to be lost as is the case with the 

 plate counts because of the spreaders and improper dilution. In a few hours 

 with milk that has been kept for some time, about 1 to 3 hours, results can be 

 obtained that would require at least 2 days with the plate counts." A com- 

 bination of the reduction and fermentation tests is recommended, and for the 

 latter a modified method for judging the curd is presented. 



The detection of improperly heated milk, J. Drost {Molk. Ztg. [HiJdes- 

 fieim], 26 {1912), Nos. 53, pp. 995-997; 54, pp. 1009-1011).— The main purpose 

 of this work was to determine whether a milk heated within 1 minute up to 

 85° C. was still capable of giving the guaiac and paraphenylendiamin reaction. 

 The work had particular reference to pasteurizing milk on a commercial scale, 

 but was done in the laboratory. 



The milk heated from 70 to 75° gave a reaction with both reagents, while 

 that heated to 80° or over rarely gave one. The samples heated to 75° slowly 

 and cooled back to room temperature did not give the guaiac reaction even 

 after standing for a long time, but gave the Storch reaction immediately. 



Another series of tests in which the temperature was raised in from 23 to 

 28 minutes to 78^° gave traces of a reaction with the guaiac test and a slightly 

 stronger one with paraphenylendiamin. In those cases where the author ob- 

 tained reactions at 80° he believes that it was due to faulty technique. 



Refraction of milk serum and the control of the milk supply, H. Witte 

 {Ztschr. Offentl. Cheni., 18 (1912), No. 18, pp. 349-354) .—The author believes 

 that a milk containing less than 8.3 per cent of fat-free dry siibstance and a 

 refraction less than 37.4 must always be viewed with suspicion. 



Investigations in regard to milk biology with the anaphylactic method, 

 H. Heuneb (Vntersuchungen zur Biologie der Milch mittels der anaphylak- 

 tischen Methode. Inaug. Diss., Univ. Chlessen, 1911. pp. S3; Arch. Kinderheilk., 

 56 (1911), No. 4-6, pp. 358-386; abs. in Zentbl. Expt. Med., 1 (1912), No. 7, 

 p. 292). — It appears that casein, albumin, and globulin in milk and colostrum 

 are to be considered separate antigens. Globulin and albumin seem to be more 

 closely related than casein. Colostrum and milks coming from cows affected 

 with mastitis show anaphylactic properties similar to those possessed by blood 

 serum. All of these biological factors can be observed with the anaphylactic 

 reaction, but it is not so specific as the reaction obtained with the complement 

 fixation or precipitation test By fractionating the various protein fractions 

 or even the individual proteins an organic substance which is not anaphylaeto- 

 genic can be isolated. 



Bromin absorption of certain vegetable oils and fats, H. Spbinkmeyee and 

 A. DiEDBiCHs (Ztschr. Vntersuch. Nahr. u. Qenussmtl., 23 (1912), No. 12, pp. 



