270 VETERINARY STUDIES 



The injury to the milk-gland structure includes various de- 

 generations, connective tissue hardening and permanent enlarge- 

 ment, abscess, or even gangrene. Development of gangrene may 

 be detected by noting that the part which has previously been 

 hot and tender becomes cold, dark in color, and insensitive. 



Prevention. — Cows that are wisely fed seem much less liable 

 to udder troubles at the time of calving. Heavy milkers espe- 

 cially should be carefully fed during the last period of preg- 

 nancy. The food should be laxative in character, and this same 

 method of feeding should be continued until about the fourth 

 day after calving, when the grain ration may be gradually 

 increased, the cow being put on feed very gradually for several 

 days. 



In case of a valuable cow that has just calved, it is well to 

 disinfect the udder and teat with 1 to 1000 bichlorid in water, 

 which may be washed off with water. If possible, this disin- 

 fection should be given before any milk is drawn after calving, 

 and should be kept up for a week in the case of a valuable cow. 

 It seems that the cow's udder is most liable to this trouble dur- 

 ing the first week or so after calving. Later there does not seem 

 to be so much danger of garget. 



Milk tubes do very much more harm than good as a rule, 

 and should never be used except when absolutely necessary, and 

 then only after thorough disinfection of the teat and boiling 

 of the tube. The latter must not be handled in any way to 

 infect the portion which is to enter the teat. Care should be 

 exercised not to milk a cow with hands that have been contami- 

 nated from purulent discharges of any kind or with any kind 

 of infectious material. A cow with garget should always be 

 milked last. 



Milkers should clean their hands thoroughly for the sake of 

 simple cleanliness and pure milk, if for no other reason, and in 

 addition for the very good reason that they are then not liable to 

 carry infection which may cause garget in the udders of valu- 

 able cows. 



Floors, door-sills, etc., should be as little likely as possible to 

 injure udders. A cow with very long udder should be so placed 

 in the stable as to avoid injury from tread by another cow. 



Treatment. — The diet should be light and laxative. Light 

 feeding during the last few weeks before calving is a good 

 preventive measure in any case. 



