2 MASTITIS OF THE COW 



The intralobular connective tissue is made up of fine 

 fibrillary connective-tissue tufts containing large lymph 

 spaces. The interlobular connective tissue on the other 

 hand is made up of firmer fibrilla showing only a few small 

 spaces. 



The collecting tubes are surrounded and joined by con- 

 nective tissue which becomes increasingly firmer and thicker 

 and which constitutes an effectual firm connective-tissue 

 membrane around the epithelium of the cisterns and the 

 teat canals. 



The gross anatomical structure of the udder of the 

 cow consists of four parts, the two lateral halves which 



are separated from each other by loose 

 connective tissue, a left and a right 

 half. These halves are again divided 

 into two parts, an anterior and a pos- 

 terior quarter. These are very firmly 

 bound together by connective tissue. 

 The udder receives blood through 

 Fw. 1— Cross section of three thc cxtcmal pudic artcry which is a 



branch of the crural artery. These ex- 

 ternal pudic arteries divide into two branches, one for 

 the anterior and one for the posterior quarters. The blood 

 is returned through two blood-vessels: (1) the milk vein 

 or subcutaneous abdominal vein, which runs anteriorly to 

 the internal thoracic vein, and ( 2 ) the external pudic vein, 

 which passes posteriorly (Fig. 2). 



The lymph-vessels of the udder are numerous and pass 

 posteriorly to the supramammary lymph-glands and from 

 here out through the internal lumbar-glands to the thoracic 

 duct. 



Physiology. — The udder secretes the milk. It func- 

 tionates periodically and the period depends upon preg- 

 nancy ; thus milk secretion begins with great quantities with 

 parturition and continues for ca. 7-8 months. After this 



