EFFECT OF DRUGS ON MILK AND FAT PRODUCTION 



By FRA^fK A. Hays, Associate, and Merton G. Thomas, 

 Assistant in Animal Husbandry, Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station 



The opinion that milk production and butter-fat yield can be influ- 

 enced by the use of drugs is widespread among dairymen. Many have 

 their own opinions on this question, and some prominent feeders have 

 been accused 6f "drugging" test cows. Three of our advanced registry 

 associations now prohibit the use of all drugs during the official test 

 period. 



Marshall^ states that some drugs and feeds are said to increase the 

 milk and butter-fat yield. Friedberger and Frohner^ inform us that a 

 number of galactogogues have always been recommended together with 

 a liberal supply of feed largely fluid in character. They mention prepa- 

 rations of antimony, sulphur, chlorate of potash, fennel, juniper berries, 

 caraway seed, aniseed, dill, and common salt. These writers recommend 

 the "milk powder" used as drug No. 5 in the experiment reported 

 below\ 



The value of an experimental test of different drugs lies not in the fact 

 that it might make possible some abnormal test records in the hands of 

 the unscrupulous but in the fact that it will furnish some information 

 on the relation of feed components to the complex physiological processes 

 of milk secretion. 



PREVIOUS WORK 



Henderson ^ reports the effects of using six different drugs as galacto- 

 goges. Each drug was used on 10 cows, and the period of treatment 

 was either two days or one week, with a control period of equal length 

 either before or after treatment. 



Henderson summarizes his results as follows: 



1. With, sodium bi-carbonate the cows increased the milk yield but neither the 

 fat production nor the per cent, of fat in the milk. 



2. With ginger the cows increased the per cent, of fat in the milk but decreased the 

 milk yield and total fat production. 



3. With pilocarpine hydrochlor injected into the cowshypodermically in most cases 

 the cows increased both the per cent, of fat in the milk and total milk production. 



4. With malt extract the cows in most cases appeared to increase the milk and 

 butter fat production, but it had no effect upon the per cent, of fat in the milk. 



5. Neither gentian nor powdered nux vomica had any effect either on the milk 

 production or on the quality of the milk. 



6. When grain alcohol was applied to the udder just previous to milking, no effect 

 on the milk production or per cent, of fat in the milk was noted. 



* Marshall, Francis H. A. thg physiology op reproduction ... p. 566. London, 1910. 



' Friedbergrr. Franz, and Frohner, Eugen. veterinary pathology. Translated by M. H. Hayes, 

 ed. 6, V. I. p. 396-397. London, Chicago, 190S. 



' Henderson, Harry Oram, a study of forced feeding and methods usbd in advanced rbgistrv 

 feeding. In Penn. Agr. Exp. Sta. Ann. Rpt. 1913/16, p. 393-419- 1918. 



Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. XIX. No. 3 



Washington, D. C. May i. 1930 



Ub Key No. Del.-3 



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