1912.] 



Ropy Milk. 



997 



Almost every year for the past sixteen years reports of out- 

 breaks have been sent to the Midland Agricultural and Dairy 

 College. Advice on the lines indicated below has been given, 

 with the result that the trouble has been quickly stopped ; but in 

 very few cases has the organism been identified and traced to 

 its source. 



During the year 191 1 reports reached the writer of outbreaks 

 of ropy milk in the North of England, also in Scotland and 

 in Ireland. 



A typical and very persistent outbreak occurred near 

 Nottingham in May and June, 191 1, which caused great loss 

 to the farmer whose milk was affected. The case was 

 investigated by Mr. Wilfrid Sadler and the writer. 



On June 7th a visit was made to the farm, and the following 

 samples were taken in sterile bottles : — (a) The milk from 

 individual cows, and the milk of the herd before and after 

 straining, &c. ; (b) the water which the cows drank, and the 

 water used for washing the churns, pails, &c. ; (c) a dilute 

 solution of soda from a wooden tub in which the milk churns 

 and pails were washed, the solution not having been effectively 

 washed out after the cleansing operation ; (d) the washings of 

 a cloth which was used for drying the churns after scalding ; 

 (e) rinsings of the milk-pails immediately before use for 

 milking ; (/) water from ponds in the fields into which the cows 

 were turned — it was found that the cows waded in the 

 ponds, getting the dirty water on their udders; (g) the 

 herbage of the fields and the straw in the cow-byre ; and (h) 

 plates of gelatine were exposed in the fields, cow-byres, &c, 

 and the organisms which subsequenty appeared and which 

 came from the air were examined as to their action on milk. 



The discontinuance of the method of cleaning was at once 

 advised. A galvanised iron vessel was substituted for the 

 wooden tub, and this was scalded out after use. It was 

 recommended that the use of a cloth be discontinued. The 

 ponds were fenced round so that the cows could no longer 

 wade in them, and the cows were later changed to another 

 pasture. After these precautions had been taken the trouble 

 quickly ceased. 



A bacteriological examination of the samples taken proved 

 that a ropy milk organism was present in large numbers in the 



