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ment is employed in the manufacture of Edam cheese, which has the 
power of rendering the milk slimy. The cheese made from such 
milk is said to ripen more rapidly and more evenly than cheese made 
without the use of this particular organism. This peculiar change 
in the consistency of milk has also been found to be due to bacteria 
and ordinarily, as it occasionally occurs in the dairy, is a source of 
great trouble and annoyance. Many bacteria seem to have the power 
of producing a slime in milk under suitable conditions. Ordinarily, 
however, this change is accomplished by one or two bacteria having 
a wide distribution in nature. Of these B. lactis viscosus (Adametz) 
seems to be the commonest organism of the kind found in Europe, 
and a similar organism, probably the same species, occurs in this 
country. It is a very hardy organism, and finds its way into the 
milk through the water supply of the dairy. From such a source the 
infection may become widely diffused and difficult to trace. How- 
ever, it is an infection which, no matter how troublesome, can be 
eradicated through cleanliness, although in certain instances it may 
be necessary to resort to disinfectants. Among other organisms pro- 
ducing sliminess in milk may be mentioned Micrococcus freuden- 
reichii and two forms of streptococci, one the source of the slimy 
ferment in Holland, the latter present on the leaves of Pinguicula, 
the latter being employed in Norway as the source of the ferment ; 
and as pointed out by Beyerinck sliminess in milk may be produced 
by certain of the lactic-acid bacteria, especially by those growing at 
low temperatures. Slimy milk also results from a diseased condition 
of the mammary gland and is a common characteristic of garget. 
Nothing is known of the chemical nature of the substances causing 
the sliminess of milk. 
Bitter milk . — Freshly drawn milk has sometimes a bitter taste; in 
other instances it acquires such a taste on standing a few hours. 
The bitter taste of freshly drawn milk is sometimes due to the passage 
of bitter substances into the milk from the food of the cow, such as 
lupines. It may also be produced during the last stages of lactation. 
In those cases in which the bitter taste develops only after standing 
the cause thereof is to be sought in changes in the composition of the 
milk due to the action of certain organisms. A considerable num- 
ber of organisms seem to possess the power of producing a bitter 
taste in milk; some of them after a short interval, others only after 
a longer one. Only the former are of any practical significance in 
the dairy, and among these may be mentioned a micrococcus, a cut 
of which is shown by Conn, and a bacillus described by Weigmann, 
both of which have the power of ruining the taste of freshly drawn 
milk in a few hours. The source of these organisms is difficult to 
trace. In one case cited by Conn the organism giving rise to this 
abnormal fermentation was traced to the milk ducts of a single cow. 
