90 MILK HYGIENE 



During the course of cowpox, milk may undergo quite 

 noticeable changes in that it becomes thin and bluish and 

 coagulates very easily. This change has not yet been 

 closely studied, and it does not appear to be constant. 



d. Anthrax. During the course of anthrax, the secre- 

 tion of milk falls off suddenly and decidedly. The milk 

 secreted is thin and its composition is supposed to be 

 abnormal. According to a report of Monatzkows, the 

 percentage of sugar and fat is increased and the albu- 

 min decreased. Perdix states that the milk contains 

 ammonia. 



Chamberland and Roux, Nocard and several other 

 investigators have observed that the milk of cows af- 

 fected with anthrax contains virulent bacilli. According 

 to the experiments of Monatzkows and of Jensen, this is 

 not always the case. Since the milk is often mixed with 

 blood, following slight hemorrhages in the udder tissue, 

 it is probable that the admixture of bacilli occurs only 

 when such hemorrhages take place. 



As anthrax bacilli are able to penetrate the mucous 

 membrane of the digestive canal in man, the milk of a 

 cow suffering with anthrax is to be considered very dan- 

 gerous. This was mentioned long ago by Heusinger, 

 but so far as is known to the author there is only a 

 single questionable observation of such transmission 

 (Karlinski). 



The milk from healthy cows in a herd in which a 

 case of anthrax has occurred must be regarded as harm- 

 less, for the disease is accompanied by striking symp- 

 toms and bacilli are not to be found in the milk before 

 the late stages of the disease. Cows that still appear 

 healthy, give milk free from bacilli even though they be 

 affected. Apropos of this, the following statement is 

 contained in Section 26 of the instructions to the Danish 

 veterinary police : * ' Milk from sick [anthrax] animals 



