pportunity to
exert any effect.

It is interesting to note that the bacteria found in the udder are
similar to those that seem to be most abundant in such glandular
tissues as the liver and spleen. This fact increases the probability
that these comparatively inert coccus forms of the udder may
originate directly from the blood stream. The organisms that
normally are found in the udder exert no harmful effects on the
gland. It might be thought that due to the presence of abundant food
and a favorable temperature that growth would be abundant, but such
is not the case. At times the udder may be invaded by forms that are
not held in check by the natural factors and an inflammation of the
udder is likely to result.

=Germicidal property of milk.= It has been claimed that freshly drawn
milk, like other body fluids, possesses germicidal properties,
_i.e._, the power of destroying bacteria with which it may be
brought in contact. If milk is carefully examined bacteriologically,
hour by hour, after it is withdrawn from the udder, it will
generally be found that there is at first not only no increase in
number of organisms during a longer or shorter period when it is
kept at temperatures varying from 40 deg. to 70 deg. F., but that an
actual reduction not infrequently takes place. When cultures of bacteria,
such as _B. prodigiosus_, a red organism, lactic acid organisms,
and even the yellow, liquefying coccus, so commonly found in the
fore-milk, are artificially introduced into the udder, it has been
found that no growth occurs and that in the course of a few days the
introduced organisms actually disappear. Whether this failure to
colonize can be regarded as evidence of a germicidal property or not
is questionable. In fact, this question is a matter of but little
practical importance in the handling of milk since, under the best
of conditions, the keeping quality of the milk is not materially
enhanced. It may be of importance in inhibiting growth in the udder.

=Rejection of fore-milk.= The fact that the fore-milk contains per
cubic centimeter so much more germ life than the remainder of the
milk has led some to advocate its rejection when a sanitary milk
supply is under consideration. While from a purely quantitative
point of view, this custom may be considered advantageous, in
practice, however, it is hardly worth while since it is not at all
certain that the rejection will have any effect on the keeping
quality or healt