120 proceedings op the academy op [1884. 



April 29. 

 The President, Dr. Leidy, in the chair. 

 Twent^-^-seven persons present. 



A paper entitled " New Fossils from ihe four groups of the 

 Niagara Period of Western New York," by Eugene N. S. Ringue- 

 berg, was presented for publication. 



On the Digestion of Raw and of Boiled 3Iilk. — Dr. N. A. Ran- 

 dolph referred to certain profound changes produced in milk by 

 boiling. In this opei-ation the casein is not coagulated, but there 

 is an evolution of sulphuretted h^^drogen (Schreiner), a diminu- 

 tion in the gaseous constituents of the fluid and a change in the 

 amount of ozone present. 



The most striking difference between raw and boiled milk lay 

 in their respective responses to rennet, acids and alkalies. 



At the body-temperature the Arm coagulation of raw milk 

 occurred almost immediately upon the addition of a neutral 

 rennet solution, whereas boiled milk, under the same conditions, 

 did not clot for a far longer period, and the coagula were not 

 firm. On the other hand, dilute or strong acids were tenfold as 

 active upon boiled as upon raw milk. Some time after making 

 these experiments Dr. Randolph found that so far as acids and 

 rennet were concerned, similar results had been obtained by 

 Sohreiner (Chem. Centralbl., III. Folge, IX. Jahrg.), and lie 

 desired to present his observations in these particulars simply- as 

 confirmatory of those of that observer. 



Upon the addition of dilute alkalies to boiled milk, the rise 

 of cream was much more rapid and complete than in raw milk 

 under the same conditions. 



Artificial digestions showed that milk was more readily digested 

 when raw than when boiled. This was further coufirmetl by a 

 comparative examination and weighing (in over fifty cases, and 

 in which he was aided by Dr. Roussel) of the contents of the 

 stomach after rawand boiled milk had been, in different individuals, 

 undergoing actual gastric digestion. In these cases the residue 

 found in the stomachs of those persons receiving boiled milk 

 was greater than the similar residue found in the stomachs where 

 raw milk had been undergoing digestion for the same length of 

 time. 



The following were elected members : Messrs. J. L. Forwood, 

 L. Woolman, John Eyerman, Edw. Jackson, E. J. Wheelock and 

 Miss S. D. Atkinson, 



Ernest Andre, of Gra}^, Haute Saone, France, was elected a 

 correspondent. 



The following were ordered to be printed : — 



