The Milk Glands and their Functions. 



79 



not a material gain in milk-now be secured by develop- 

 ing the fore udder 1 ' ' The figures submitted 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 irregularity of form is 

 presented by any part of the anatomy of the horse, ox, 

 sheep or pig, as is 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 quarter. 



The function of the udder is to secrete milk, the stimu- 

 lus to do so being the 

 maternal function, 

 thus the work of this 

 organ differs from that 

 of others in the body, 

 in that its secretion 

 serves no useful pur- 

 pose to the animal 

 secreting, but is in- 

 tended by nature to 

 serve as a food on • 

 which to raise the 

 offspring. 



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 



A Good Fore Udder. 



