150 WORCESTER SOCIETY. 



thrown into a violent state of action, which occasions a propor- 

 tionate waste of the tissues of the body ; as parturition gener- 

 ally continues for several hours, the waste of matter in the 

 body is very considerable. Now if this waste of the tissues ac- 

 tually increased the amount of casein in the milk, we should 

 expect to find a notable increase of that body in the milk of a 

 cow which has just calved, and this we know to be the case, 

 for such milk is quite thick with cheese. Boussingault found 

 the composition of the milk of a cow, before the calf had been 

 allowed to suck, as follow: — Casein, 15.0; butter, 2.6 ; su- 

 gar, 3.6; ashes, 0.3; water, 7S.5 — 100. 



" Here then we find the milk contained fifteen per cent., of 

 casein, while the milk of the same cow usually contained only 

 three per cent., or one fifth the quantity. I am quite aware that 

 there is some difficulty in conceiving a separation of part of the 

 organism without a destruction of its chemical composition; 

 but in the present state of our knowledge we cannot deny that a 

 separation might take place by a simple alteration of the chem- 

 ical 7iaiure of the components of the organism, without a 

 change in composition ; thus the alkalies liberated by the des- 

 truction of the tissues might possibly convert the albumen in 

 the blood into the casein, and thus the waste of the tissues 

 would indirectly increase the amount of casein in the milk. 

 The cases already cited might be explained on this supposition. 

 We have the more insisted on this point, because by it may be 

 explained several apparently anomalous circumstances in dairy 

 farming. 



"It is necessary in dairy farming to use every means to in- 

 sure the tranquillity of our milch cows. Harsh treatment ex- 

 erts a very injurious action on the nature of the milk, both from 

 mental and physical causes. Dairymen are well aware of the 

 sad effects which follow, if cows be harrassed by dogs or by 

 harsh keepers. 



'• The great cause which renders milk poor, that is, deprives it 

 of the proper quantity of butter, is the respiration of too great 

 an amount of oxygen. This gas combines so easily with 

 butter that it is of great importance to prevent an excess from 

 entering the body. Now the number of respirations is increased 



