62 RURAL VETERINARY SECRETS 



best udder is squarely-balanced, elastic-feeling udder, with a large 

 blood supply. Certain breeds are deficient in this respect, the 

 y\yrshire, however, being strong in fore udder development. There 

 is much in heredity; many stock breeders examine the bull intended 

 to head their herds, for the placing of the rudimcntarics (small 

 teats just in front of bag or scrotum), as they believe that such plac- 

 ing is an indication of the probable placing of the teats in his 

 progeny, consequently they want the rudimentaries squarely placed. 

 Prof. Plumb puts the question "May not a material gain in milk- 

 flow be secured by developing the fore udder?" The figures sub- 

 mitted by him in Bulletin 62, of Purdue University, certainly hold 

 out testimony that such improvement may result. 



In heavy milkers the udder is often perpendicular. What is 

 termed the funnel-shaped udder is not a desirable type, neither are 

 udders with very large teats. It is interesting to note that no such 

 irregularities of form is presented by any part of the anatomy of 

 the horse, ox, sheep or pig, as shown in the milk glands of the cow. 

 If one-quarter of an udder is diseased, the other quarters do not 

 seem to take on the work of the resting quarters. 



FUNCTION OF THE UDDER 



The function of the udder is to secrete milk, the stimulus to do 

 so being the maternal function, thus the work of this organ differs 

 from that of others in the body, since its secretion serves no useful 

 purpose to the animal secreting, but is intended to serve as a food 

 on which to raise the offspring. 



SECRETION OF MILK 



The secretion of milk is held to depend on a throwing off of 

 the epithelial cells of the alveoli, combined with a filtering out of 

 water, salts and other materials from the blood ; when that secretion 

 takes place is yet a moot point, but the opinion held by the best 

 authorities is that the secretion of the greater part of the milk goes 

 on during the act of milking. It is now held that the nervous sys- 

 tem has a great deal to do with the production of milk, a reasonable 

 conclusion when we remember that the activity of a gland dejiends 

 largely on its blood supply, that supply being controlled by the 

 nerves, whose action Is to contract or widen the blood vessels. 



Roehrig describes a nerve which leaves the spinal cord and goes 

 to the udder ; filaments from its branches go to the teats, the cis- 



