78 CLEAN MILK 



The disease known as milk sickness, or trembles, which sometimes 

 attacks man, has been attributed to the drinking of milk from cows 

 feeding on poison ivy, mushrooms, etc. It is now known that 

 trembles is probably caused by a special germ (B. lactimorbi), as it 

 may be reproduced indefinitely by feeding the flesh of diseased to 

 healthy animals. Night exposure is most dangerous to animals — 

 perhaps because the germ is introduced by a biting insect. Cows 

 usually do not sicken with trembles while they are regularly milked, 

 although, without seeming sick, such infected animals may be capa- 

 ble of giving the disease to man drinking their milk. If milking is 

 stopped the cow may suddenly sicken. Cattle with trembles show 

 dulness and weakness, and tremble, pant, and run against objects. 

 Fever is absent. The bowels are constipated but sometimes loose 

 with discharge of blood and mucus. The animal lies with the 

 head to one side and the breath is strong with acetone. Animals 

 finally lie quivering and may be unable to rise. The disease is quite 

 fatal in man and animals. From three to six days after drinking 

 milk from cows affected with the disease, symptoms appear in man. 

 It begins with malaise, vomiting, constipation, pain in the belly, ace- 

 tone breath and thirst. Twitching of the muscles, weakness and 

 paralysis, with difficulty in breathing, may occur. About half the 

 cases die. The disease lasts about a week or ten days. It is only 

 known in the United States — especially in newly settled parts of 

 the Southern and Middle States. Meadow saffron consumed by 

 cows may lead to severe diarrhea in man drinking their milk. 



Milk is not of good quality for any purpose when the animals 

 yielding it are fed upon swill, brewers' grains qr food in a state of 

 marked fermentation or putrefaction. Such milk may cause digest- 

 ive disturbances in man — particularly in babies — and the manure 

 is very soft and stinking from cows eating fermented food, and 

 splashes about, and is therefore more apt to soil the cow and milk. 

 The milk produced with brewers' grains does not keep sweet so 

 long as good milk should, neither are the cows consuming large 



