VARIATIONS IN COW'S MILK 43 



11. Medicines. It is an old opinion that a number 

 of different medicines help to increase the milk secre- 

 tion and the fat content of milk, and for this reason, so- 

 called " milk powders " are still used. The different 

 materials (fennel, anise, caraway, calamus, bitters, sul- 

 phur, antimony compounds, etc.) cannot change the 

 secretion of normal animals, and it is doubtful if they 

 are able to recall the milk secretion after it has been 

 checked through disease. 



Other medicines as quinine, belladonna and alum, are 

 supposed to be able to check the secretion as, also, rub- 

 bing the udder with opodeldoc, oil of rosemary and the 

 like ; but their action is questionable. Drugs like iodine 

 and phosphorus, that act especially on gland tissue, 

 are able to check the secretion or cause it to stop alto- 

 gether. The excretion of medicines in the milk will be 

 considered later. 



Summary. From the above, it is evident that the 

 gland cells of the udder of each cow are adjusted to 

 secrete milk of a rather definite chemical composition 

 which, however, changes during the lactation period, but 

 that these cells react to a number of different influences 

 as a result of which they may temporarily secrete milk 

 of a somewhat changed composition. 



As would be expected, the limits for the variations 

 in the composition of cow's milk are reported differ- 

 ently, but milk of a composition that is not included in 

 the limits below is indeed very rare. 



Water Casein Albumin Fat Lactose Ash 



83 89* 2 5* 0.390.95* 2.57.5* 45.8* 0.351.21* 



It appears that the fat content is subject to great 

 variations; but, if we leave out of consideration old 

 milking cows, these variations are much less. The 

 quantity in milk of solids not fat (casein, albumin, lac- 



