VARIATIONS IN COW'S MILK 41 



a. (E strum has a very different effect on the milk 

 secretion of individual cows. Kiihn found no effect, but 

 von Kleuze found such a great albumin content that the 

 milk could not be boiled, and Schaffer established a 

 remarkably high fat content. On the other hand, Fleisch- 

 mann found only 0.714 per cent, fat in the evening milk 

 of a cow that had come in heat in the course of the day, 

 though the morning milk contained 3.56 per cent. fat. 

 On the whole, it may be said that normal oestrum often 

 induces a passing disturbance of the normal secretory 

 activity of the udder. 



b. Nymphomania, which has no slight influence on 

 the nature of the meat, and reduces the milk secretion 

 considerably, probably influences the nature of the milk 

 also. Only a single analysis of such milk is given by 

 Schaffer; the quantity of fat and lactose had not 

 changed, but the quantity of protein was remarkably 

 high, namely, 5.72 per cent. 



c. Ovariotomy. As is known, it is frequently claimed 

 that spaying performed on healthy cows during the first 

 months of the lactation period causes a considerable 

 lengthening of this period, an increased daily secretion, 

 and greater fat content of the milk. However, it can 

 hardly be said that this is sufficiently established; and 

 especially, it is not to be considered as proven that 

 ovariotomy is able to raise the fat content ; in fact it is 

 most improbable. Ovariotomy performed on nympho- 

 maniac cows causes, among other things, the possibly 

 abnormal milk secretion to return again to normal. 



d. Abortion. The experiments that were conducted 

 by Schaffer and Hess have shown that abortion, which 

 has such great influence on the quantity of milk, has no 

 influence on its composition. The same statement ap- 

 plies to the retention of the afterbirth, in so far as this 

 causes no general illness. 



