48 MASTITIS OF THE COW 



days to months. One quarter, seldom more, is aiFected. 

 The quarter rapidly becomes greatly swollen, hard and 

 painful following a severe primary lesion, or soft, flabby 

 and somewhat collapsed following a less severe primary 

 lesion. 



The quantity of the milk is greatly diminished, and the 

 milk is thick, yellow, puslike and often contains viscid flakes 

 of fibrin. In gangrene the milk is homogeneous and 

 stinking. 



Upon microscopic examination of the sediment one 

 finds very few Gram positive cocci of oval shape and ar- 

 ranged as diplococci or perhaps in short chains. 



In the first few days and also later the animal may 

 show fever if gangrene has set in. 



The course of the chronic condition extends from sev- 

 eral months to a year. 



From a clinical point of view this chronic streptomycosis 

 can be divided into an atypical chronic and a typical chronic 

 streptomycosis. 



ATYPICAI. CHRONIC STREPTOMYCOSIS 



This begins suddenly as an acute inflammation, 

 although the inflammation is not, or at least not completely, 

 high grade but becomes chronic. 



One or more quarters are affected. The quarter is 

 usually moderately swollen and very firm. Not infre- 

 quently one feels hard necrotic nodules in the quarter. The 

 milk is more extensively purulent and consists of a turbid 

 yellow fluid plus viscid fibrin flakes, or on the other hand, 

 it may present a comparatively normal appearance, but 

 is diminished in quantity and contains a more or less great 

 number of fibrin flakes. 



Upon microscopic examination of the sediment one 

 usually finds a few oval or lancet-shaped Oram positive 

 streptococci arranged as diplococci or in short chains. 



