30 Dairy Bacteriology. 



healthy mucous surfaces secrete more or less marked ger- 

 micidal fluids. 1 



Number of bacteria in fore milk. If the first few streams 

 of milk drawn from the udder are examined bacteriologic- 

 ally, it will invariably be found that the same contain a 

 relatively large number of organisms, as shown by the fol- 

 lowing data collected by Harrison, 2 in which the bacterial 

 content of the fore milk is compared with the balance of 

 the milking. 



Comparison in germ content of fore and whole milk. 



Foremilk 26,070 25,630 38,420 18,110 54,800 32,700 



43,520 27,830 18,500 29,400 45,630 48,700 

 Milk after removal 



of foremilk..'.. 1,246 1,150 1,430 3,420 1,560 890 



2,575 4,820 3,270 1,285 1,350 



If successive bacterial determinations are made of milk 

 taken at different periods of the milking process, it is to be 

 noted, as in the following experiment, that a sudden dimi- 

 nution occurs after the first few streams are removed. In 

 this the bacterial distribution per cc. was as follows: 



Bacterial content at different periods of milking. 



Fore 200th 2000th 4300th 6500th Strip- 

 milk, cc. cc. cc. cc. pings. 



Expt. 1 6,500 1,700 475 220 75 5 



Expt. 2 3,100 1,650 400 240 50 10 



In these cases contamination from all other sources was 

 excluded. The stoppings will sometimes be almost sterile, 



^The germicidal properties of freshly drawn milk discovered by Fokker 

 (Zeit. f. Hyg., 1890, 9:41) is shown by the diminution in number of organisms that 

 may sometimes be noted (Park, N. Y. Univ. Bull., 1901, 1:85). 



Harrison, 22 Kept. Ont. Agr. Coll., 1896, p. 108; also Moore, 12 Kept. Bur. Animal 

 Ind. Washington, 1895-6, p. 261. 



