THE SANITARY CONDITION OF MILK 85 



The colostrum cells begin to make their appear- 

 ance in the milk about a week before the calf is 

 born. Four or five days after calving the albumin 

 decreases and the milk gradually reaches its normal 

 condition. The colostrum acts as a purge upon the 

 young calf. 



The creaming of colostrum milk is very imperfect 

 on account of the albumin present in such large 

 quantities. Colostrum milk should never be mixed 

 with other milk, because it will prevent creaming by 

 the gravity process and it clogs the separator. Co- 

 lostrum produces an inferior butter product, and in 

 cheese making causes trouble as it seriously inter- 

 feres with the curing and keeping qualities of the 

 cheese. Colostrum is not as objectionable, for sani- 

 tary reasons, as it is on account of affecting the 

 quality of the dairy products. 



77. Tyrotoxicon is a poisonous chemical compound 

 found in stale milk and old cheese. It is produced 

 by bacteria, and is a ptomaine or poisonous nitrog- 

 enous body formed from decomposing albuminous 

 matter. When separated and examined with the 

 microscope, the tyrotoxicon appears in long, needle- 

 shaped crystals. When present in milk in small 

 quantities it produces diarrhoea and symptoms simi- 

 lar to those of cholera. It proves fatal when in- 

 jected into the veins of small animals. The 

 tyrotoxicon is sometimes developed in ice cream 

 made and handled in unclean ways. Inasmuch as 

 tyrotoxicon is produced by bacteria which feed upon 



