~Butyric acid fermentations.~ The formation of butyric acid in milk which may be recognized by the "rancid butter" odor is not infrequently seen in old, sour milk, and for a long time was thought to be a continuation of the lactic fermentation, but it is now believed that these organisms find more favorable conditions for growth, not so much on account of the lactic acid formed as in the absence of dissolved oxygen in the milk which is consumed by the sour-milk organisms. Most of the butyric class of bacteria are spore-bearing, and hence they are frequently present in boiled or sterilized milk. The by-products formed in this series of changes are quite numerous. In most cases, butyric acid is prominent, but in addition to this, other organic acids, as lactic, succinic, and acetic, are produced, likewise different alcohols. Concerning the chemical origin of butyric acid there is yet some doubt. Duclaux[58] affirms that the fat, sugar and casein are all decomposed by various forms. In some cases, the reaction of the milk is alkaline, with other species it may be neutral or acid. This type of fermentation has not received the study it deserves. In milk these organisms are not of great importance, as this fermentation does not readily gain the ascendency over the lactic bacteria. ~Ropy or slimy milk.~ The viscosity of milk is often markedly increased over that which it normally possesses. The intensity of this abnormal condition may vary much; in some cases the milk becoming viscous or slimy; in others stringing out into long threads, several feet in length, as in Fig. 17. Two sets of conditions are responsible for these ropy or slimy milks. The most common is where the milk is clotted or stringy when drawn, as in some forms of garget. This is generally due to the presence of viscid pus, and is often accompanied by a bloody discharge, such a condition representing an inflamed state of the udder. Ropiness of this character is not usually communicable from one lot of milk to another. [Illustration: FIG. 17. Ropy milk.] The communicable form of ropy milk only appears after the milk has been drawn from the udder for a day or so, and is caused by the development of various species of bacteria which find their way into the milk after it is drawn. These defects are liable to occur at any season of the year. Their presence in a dairy is a source of much trouble, as the unsightly appearance of the milk precludes its use as food, although there is no evidence that these ropy fermentations are dangerous to health. There are undoubtedly a number of different species of bacteria that are capable of producing these viscid changes,[59] but it is quite probable that they are not of equal importance in infecting milk under natural conditions.