Mastitis and fraudulent cattle traders

In the nineteenth century mastitis was thought to be caused by, among others, swelling of the udder. The swelling itself needed an external cause for explanation, which was looked for in inadequate animal husbandry. Sloppy milkmaids and fraudulent cattle traders are frequently found in the literature throughout most of the century. Two examples of the latter are given here.

Auguste Jourdier [calls himself farmer at Vert-Galant, but is a veterinarian],

‘Foire a moutons de la Pomponne’, Journal d’Agriculture Pratique, de Jardinage et d’Economie Domestique, 7 (1852) 236-237

[Describes the prices at the market of horses, sheep and cattle]

“Milk cattle reached a price of 150-250 fr [per kilogram]. The sellers, mostly small farmers, have the deplorable habit of not milking the cows long before, in order to make the udder look much bigger. This is a serious mistake, because this barbarous actions may cause severe diseases: a more or less intense mastitis, an obstruction of milk [galactophores] canals, frequently resulting in loss by the beast of one or two teats. Sometimes it makes them ill-natured and difficult to milk, due to the suffering they have endured, and which has been excited by the noise of the crowd or the blows.”

Th.Kitt, [prosector and lecturer at the Veterinary Highschool of Munich]

‘Untersuchungen über die verschiedene Formen der Euterentzünding.’ Deutsche Zeitschrift für Thiermedicin 12 (1885) 7-8

[Describes the etiology of mastitis in relation to different pathological-anatomical changes]

“…  Frequently there are, in high- or moderate-producing milk cows, e.g. by a too late milking-out (which is often deliberately put into practice by traders, to demonstrate a fraudulent milk profit), conditions in which milk droplets adhere abundantly [to the teat] …”

It should be noted that Kitt was discussing the route of entrance of infectious agents.

I found at least four times in the literature remarks on the fraudulent behaviour of cattle traders or sellers of cows as contributing to cases of mastitis.