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4 Milk and Its Products. 
udders are more subject to inflammations and in- 
flammatory diseases than those with less fatty tissue. 
In many cows, particularly while young, the fibrous 
net-work that supports the udder is held firmly up 
to the under side of the abdomen. If in con- 
nection with this the udder has comparatively little 
connective and fatty tissue, the animal will have 
an udder apparently small, but with large capacity 
for secretion. In old cows, particularly those that 
have been large milkers, the fibrous bands often 
become largely relaxed, so that the udder falls 
nearly to the ground, and appears to be of enor- 
mous size. 
Internal structure of the udder and teats.—The 
teat is simply a canal surrounded by muscular walls 
and closed at either extremity by an involuntary 
sphincter muscle. These muscles, particularly the 
lower ones, vary much in rigidity in different ani- 
mals. Often they are so lax that the pressure of 
a small amount of milk in the canal is sufficient 
to open them, and the animal leaks her milk. In 
other animals, it requires a strong effort of the 
hand to draw the milk. Where the animal milks 
unduly hard, the rigidity may be overcome by keep- 
ing a smooth wooden plug of sufficient size to 
moderately dilate the opening in the end of the 
teat till the muscle relaxes sufficiently to permit 
easy drawing of the milk, or the muscle may be 
partially divided with the knife in the hands of 
a skilful operator. At the top of the teat, or 
bottom of the udder, there is a small cavity k 
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