CHAPTER II 



MASTITIS IN GENERAL 



Definition. — Inflammation of the udder or mastitis 

 is a local disease of the udder of a reactive character which 

 manifests itself by an active hypersemia, emigration of cells, 

 and proliferation of connective tissue. 



Etiology. — Mastitis is brought about through harmful 

 local influences. These harmful influences are of two kinds : 

 (1) physical, mechanical nature; external force; (2) chem- 

 ical nature, bacterial toxin ; infection. 



Pathogenesis. — The part of the udder exposed to these 

 harmful factors can consequently undergo retrogressive 

 alterations and indeed become so injured that a more or 

 less progressive death of cells supervenes as the primary 

 lesion.^ The adj acent living tissue subsequently reacts with 

 an inflammation. In this condition the emigrating cells, 

 especially the leucocytes and connective-tissue cells, rid the 

 local diseased area of dead cells and foreign bodies that 

 might be present. The connective-tissue proliferation which 

 occurs at this time is a reparative process and gradually fills 

 all/defects existing in the tissue by the process of healing. 



This process is supported by a rich blood supply to 

 the diseased part called hypersemia, following which the 

 physiological transudation is increased, and this increased 

 transudate, together with emigrated cells, possibly present 

 foreign bodies and dead cells, is called an exudate. 



The real position of the inflammation is in the stroma. 

 The parenchyma is secondarily affected in mastitis follow- 

 ing alterations in the stroma. 



In consequence of the difference in the structures of the 



^ Like Ribbert, I do not classify the retrogressive process with 

 inflammation, but I maintain that it is the incentive factor of the 

 inflammation, which therefore may best be called the primary lesion. 

 [Alteration.] 



