502 
RABIES. 
The virus of rabies has in several instances been reported to have 
been passed to the offspring* through the mother’s milk. While it is 
not probable that cattle would be milked after the sympto ms of 
rabies developed, it is nevertheless important to realize the danger 
of using such milk and the necessity for preventing calves from 
sucking such diseased cows. 
MAMMITIS, MASTITIS, OR GARGET. 
This disease, or series of diseases, of the udder is by far the most 
frequent alteration noted. Usually only one quarter is affected, 
although the whole udder may at times be involved. The affected 
parts are greatly swollen and more or less painful hi the early stages. 
The milk, at first normal in appearance, soon changes its character, 
becoming watery, fight brown in color, and in some cases contains 
flocculi and pus cells and appears tenacious, slimy, or ropy. The 
cause of this condition is usually a streptococcus, although staphy- 
lococci are frequently incriminated in suppurative conditions of the 
udder, especially where abscess formation occurs. The milk from 
such an udder is objectionable from an esthetic standpoint and is 
also liable to give rise to gastro-intestinal disorders, especially in 
children. Such milk should be prohibited until the inflammatory 
condition entirely disappears. 
LEUCOCYTES IN MILK. 
The number of leucocytes in milk and their significance are receiv- 
ing the serious attention of those bacteriologists who are striving for 
a purer milk supply. The question as to what number of leucocytes 
should be regarded as abnormal is still the subject of investigation, 
but the opinions of contemporaneous workers are becoming more 
uniform as the methods for the determination of these leucocytes 
are reaching greater perfection. Previously it was considered that 
but few leucocytes were contained in the milk of healthy cows, and 
when a certain increased number of leucocytes were observed in milk 
it was suggestive of inflammation of the udder, termed mammitis or 
garget. As the milk in this disease may contain pus without chang- 
ing the appearance of the product, such milk may readily be accepted 
by the consumer as normal. It is therefore of importance to be able 
to designate the cows and the milk so affected, especially as the causa- 
tive agents of this condition are micrococci, which likewise produce 
intestinal disorders when consumed by infants. Even when the 
udder inflammation is slight an increase in the number of leucocytes 
secreted in the milk may be observed, and it was the recognition of 
