LOUIS A. KLEIN. 
34 
These facts all pointed to the exposure of the wet udders to 
the cold atmosphere as the cause of the skin alterations, and, also, 
as the probable cause of the catarrhal condition in the udders. 
The strength of the disinfectant solution was not sufficient to 
cause irritation. It therefore seemed necessary to stop the use of 
such excessive quantities of water in cleaning the cows. It was 
recommended that the cows be cleaned as thoroughly as possible 
by dry-brushing, only using* water when necessary to wash off 
wet manure, and that the udders be wiped with a cloth dampened 
with a 2 per cent, solution of sodium carbonate and then anointed 
with a small amount of vaseline. This treatment, it was believed, 
would protect the milk from contamination during milking 
equally as well as the washing process, and would also have a ben¬ 
eficial influence upon the skin of the udder and, perhaps, also, in¬ 
directly upon the udder trouble. Each cow showing changes in 
milk, except the twelve showing thickening of the mucous mem¬ 
brane and induration of the gland tissue, was also to receive 3 
drams of bicarbonate of soda and i 1 /^ drams each of sodium sul¬ 
phate and potassium acetate upon the feed twice daily. Bicar¬ 
bonate of soda and sodium sulphate were prescribed because they 
are recommended in catarrhal conditions, and potassium acetate 
was included because it was thought its diuretic action would 
be of service in eliminating substances that were irritating the 
mucous membranes of the udder. More effective internal and 
local remedies could have been selected, but in prescribing- treat¬ 
ment the number of affected animals had to be taken into con¬ 
sideration, together with other circumstances. The twelve cows 
above mentioned were separated from the others and given spe¬ 
cial treatment. 
The recommendation to chang*e the method of preparing* the 
cows for milking was regarded with some doubt by the manager 
at first, because he feared the proposed method would not be as 
effective as the old in keeping* bacteria out of the milk, and his 
uncertainty was increased by the opinion of a prominent bacteri¬ 
ologist, that if the system of washing was abandoned the num¬ 
ber of bacteria in the milk would be increased. It also required 
