558 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. l?ol. 36 



FOODS— HUMAN NTTTRITIOIT. 



studies of the values of different grades of milk in infant feeding, R. M. 

 Warhbukn and C. H. Jones (Vermont Sta. Bui. 195 (1916), pp. 144, pis. 9, 

 figs. 10). — The experiments reported in this bulletin were carried out witli baby 

 pigs, with tlie view of adapting the findings to infant feeding. 



Studies of the effect of feeding skim, medium, and rich milks showed that 

 " the character of the tissue produced is determined by and closely parallels 

 the chemical composition of the food consumed. A ration supplying a large 

 amount of protein in proportion to the total energy available (e. g., skim milk) 

 produced sturdy, agile, but rough and undersized pigs. Milk carrying a medium 

 fat content (2.5 per cent) and, hence, less protein in proportion to the total 

 units of energy available than does skim milk, produced healthy, ' growthy,' 

 active, yet smooth and fair-sized pigs. Milk containing a large quantity of fat 

 (5 per cent) in proportion to protein, produced a rapid increase in weight and 

 physiologically economical gains; but the pigs were in a dangerously overfat 

 condition and betrayed peevishness and low vitality. The body of the young 

 pig and, if the results of these trials are applicable to human infant feeding, 

 tliat of the human young, should not contain much more than approximately 

 1.6 parts of fat for every one part of protein. If a ration carrying a nutritive 

 ratio of about 1 : 3 is used, a 1 : 1.6 result, or an approximation to such a result 

 may be expected." 



From their study of the relative values of Holstein and Jersey milks, the 

 authors are of the opinion that the size of the fat globules has no practical 

 bearing on the relative values of milks in infant feeding, and that any supe- 

 riority for infant feeding attributed to Holstein mUk is more likely to lie in 

 its relatively low fat content than in the relatively small size of the fat 

 globules. 



The evidence obtained in experiments with homogenized milk indicated that 

 homogenization of the fat does not seem to be helpful in feeding the young. 

 " The pigs fed the milks thus treated ate their food less greedily and, whenever 

 the fat content of their ration was increased, went ' off feed ' more quickly 

 than did those receiving milk containing normal fat. However, the curds 

 formed from milk the casein of which had been homogenized were made so 

 much more flocculent and friable as a result of this process that [it appears] 

 that perhaps benefit may be expected from such treatment. The quantity of 

 fat fed is of much more importance in the constitution of the body tissue than 

 is the size of the fat globules." Wlien medium amounts of fat (2 to 3 per 

 cent) v/ere fed there appeared to be a slightly increased fat utilization favoring 

 homogenization. 



Tests of evaporated (unsweetened) and condensed (sweetened) milks sliowed 

 that both were readily digested and assimilated and their nutrients appro- 

 priated for tissue growth. " Evaporated milk compared very favorably indeed 

 with normal milk, standardized to a medium fat percentage, in nutriment and 

 in tissue production." While sweetened condensed milk showed an abundant 

 energy value it proved an undesirable food for the young, since its nutrients 

 were so proportioned as to produce a weak and dangerously fat body. 



The question of the effect of food upon the structure of the bones was 

 studied, particularly on account of its relation to rickets and other forms of 

 malnutrition. From these tests the following conclusions were drawn : " The 

 femur of the average pig fed sweetened condensed milk was but two-thirds as 

 strong as that formed when normal milk was fed. Only a .slight difference 

 appeared between the normal and the evaporated milk groups in regard to the 

 breaking strength of their femurs, but this difference favored the normal 



