The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1898-11-24
Sweet Cnrdung Of Milk.

sometimes milk, instead OF Souring,
curdles. in a relatively sweet condi-
ton, writes Prof. H. l.. Russell In
Hoard's Dairyman. To the casual OBJ
server, such a curdled or loppered con-
dition might easily be mistaken for
sour milk, but the difference is ap-
parent when the milk Is once tasted,
for, as a rule, 1t lacks the acidity that
marks ordinary SOU milk. Then,
again, the curdling occurs much earlier
than it does when the milk sours. 1t
the dairyman carefully notes the ap-
pearance of such loppered milk he will
recognize other differences than those
mentioned, as he compares 1t with the
ordinary Tactic acid lamentations.
The curd produced by the sour milk
fermentation is usually firm and hard,
the casein often shrinking SO as to
expel some clear whey, while the curd,
in the other case is soft and frequent
ly quite Shiny. AS a rule, milks that
curdle while sweet, generally undergo
subsequent digestion or dissolution OF
the casein. In such cases the curd
softens and becomes jelly-like, and
finally dissolves, leaving a turbid
whey. This "wheyed off" condition
does not usually appear until h milk
is quite cold. The cause of these alb
normal changes is in the fact that In
some way or other, various species OF
bacteria gain the upper hand OF the
normal Tactic acid fora, and thus sup
plant the sour milk fermentation.
The changes that occur in the milk
the curdling in a relatively sweet
condition, and the subsequent diges-
ton of the curd-are to be explained
as follows: These bacteria have the
power of secreting various u~norganized
ferments known as engines. These
Substances are also formed abundant
ly by the animal body, and are con-
cerned especially in the digestion OF
foods. For instance, pepsin and rennet
are secreted in the stomach of man ana
animals, and act on foods in acid solu-
lions. Trypsin is formed in the sweet
breads" (pancreas) and dissolves pro-
ted substances in neutral, or alkaline
reactions. These bacteria likewise pos
sess the property of forming rennet,
which acts in a similar to rem
net derived from animal sources. TINS
causes the premature curdling OF the
milk. The same organisms also form
digestive ferments that dissolve the
casein, so the gradual disintegration OF
the acid in "wheyed off" milk Is at
tributable to the action Of these chem
ical ferments, which in themselves are
devoid of life, but which are formed
as a result of protoplasmic activity,
Here again Is seen the striking rela-
tionship that exists between the high
est and lowest forms of life in the &C
tivity Of the life-stuff, p%rotoplasm.
The class of germs that are capable
Of producing these changes belong to
group that Is difficult to get rid OF, I
once they become established. The SO
called hay bacilli and potato bacill
that are found on the surfaces of drie(
grasses and in the soil are representa-
tives of this class. They possess tn
ability to form spores, and 1t is on thi
account that they are difficult to kill
In some cases, organisms of this elias
have been known to resist a continuQu
application of steam for six consecu
tive hours. What wonder then, tina
they are so tenacious of life. The ma
tive habitat of these forms is in dus
and dirt; therefore, if milk become
fouled with foreign matter from sue
sources, lamentations of this class ar
likely to occur. Cows having sole
udders, caused by wading in mudhole:
are a prolific source Of trouble.
1t is thought by many that the OF
sanisms on the hay that is eaten &
food nay pass through the body of tn
animal and be eXcreted in the mill
but such is not the case. The bacteri
that enter the body In the food c
drink do not escape from the intestin
If they are not destroyed by the gastr.
juices, they are excreted in the manu-
and ceu only gain access to tn
milk by communicating the same. sui
seauent to milking. Science, havin
shown the way in which these ba,
terra get into milk, also teaches ,
rational measures to repress their a
tivity. The great resistance of tn
class, as q rule, AcccSSltdteS
care in cleansing the utensils and
preventing the introduction of du
particles and dirt.
Then again, sometimes anoth'
method can be used advantageous
These bacteria, as a rule, are sens
tive to the action of acids. They a
always present in milk to some exter
but normally. they are held in chez
by the superabundance of sol mi
germs that develop tactic acid.
therefore, a little starter" taken fro
a clean sour milk, is added to the mi
as soon as it is drawn, this will ser
to give the Tactic organisms the asce
dency, and suppress the prematu
curdling. This method is not to
commended in place of the strenuo
attempts at eradication by thorou
cleanliness; but at times, where
seems impossible to get rid of it
the usual measures, this method of s.
ting one kind of bacteria to fight
other will often be successful.