503 



to biin<r about the dcsirod effects with reference to malting. This method of sup- 

 plying the antiseptic to the grain is claimed to he simpler and less expensive than 

 external treatment and quite as effectual. 



Albumexizkd milk.— a patent is reported to have been granted by the German 

 Government to Dr. E. Eieth of Berlin, on a method for preparing artificial huinau 

 milk from the milk of cows. The chief difterencc between human and animal 

 milk consists in the preponderance of albumen in the former, and of casein in the 

 latter. It is believed to be due mainly to this that human milk is more easily 

 digested thau animal milk. Dr. Rieth proposes to retain cows' milk as the basis of 

 his preparation, making certain additions and substitutions so as to approximate 

 both the chemical and the physical composition of human milk. The proportions 

 of fat, sugar, ash, etc., can easily be adjusted by adding to or removing part of them 

 from the cows' milk. The adjustment of the proportions of casein and albumen is 

 more difWcult. The removal of part of the casein was not practicable, neither was 

 the addition of natural albumen, since this coagulates by heating and is relatively 

 indigestible. Dr. Rieth proposes to add to the milk pure albumen which has been 

 heated above the boiling point of water and lost its power to coagulate. Albumen 

 thus treated, besides being non-coagulable, is found to be otherwise changed and to 

 very closely resemble albumose in its chemical reactions and physiological action. 

 If it is not an albumose it is believed to be a closely related compound. Recent 

 experiments by Ewald {Dent. med. Woclienscli., 1S90, p. 999) and others go to show 

 that in the peptic digestion of albtiminoids the resulting product is chiefly albumose 

 instead of peptones, which were either entirely absent or only present in slight 

 traces; and further that artificially prepared albiimose was capable of rej>lacing a 

 part of the albuminoids necessary to sustenance and was easily resorbed. In view 

 of these facts the material suggested by Dr. Rieth would seem, as far as digestibility 

 is concerned, to be well adapted to increasing the albumen content of cows' milk. 

 The principal points claimed for milk prepared in this manner are tliat (1) it con- 

 tains no substances foreign to human milk and consists chiefly of cows' milk and 

 materials separated from cows' milk; (2) it is chemically and physiologically iden- 

 tical with human milk; (3) it has the same taste as human milk with no tang or 

 aftertaste ; and (4) it can be stei'ilized or evaporated. 



Alum ix oil cakks. — Dr. Moschales reports (Wochenschr. des landw. Ver. Baden) 

 having repeatedly found alum up to 4 per cent in rape and palm nut cakes. In one 

 case these cakes are believed to have caused the death of a calf which was fed on 

 them. It is explained that in some factories it is common to sprinkle the material to 

 be extracted with an alum solution which acts ui)on the c^ll walls, thus making pos- 

 sible a more thorough extraction of the oil. The author belreves that oil cakes from 

 material so treated should be used with great care, and since such treatment would 

 tend to produce cakes with a relatively small fat content he urges that farmers should 

 be cautious about feeding oil cakes poor in fat. 



Phosphate milk. — According to a report in the Journal de I' Agriculture, C. Gravier, 

 superintendent of a model farm in Vichy, France, has succeeded by special feeding 

 (not disclosed) in bringing the phosphoric acid content of the milk of a herd of eight cows 

 lip to 2.3 to 2..5 grams per liter. The normal content is not tar from 1.7 gxams per 

 liter of milk. This milk is put up in bottles and sterilized, and is at present used in 

 several hospitals in Paris on account of its supposed therapeutic iiroiiertiea. 



