FEEDS AND FEEDING I47I 



and after the administration of the different phosphates to the animals 

 it seems that certain sHght modifications can be effected in the phospho- 

 ric acid content of the milk. However, the administrations have no fixed 

 influence and do not produce a constant regular increase proportional to 

 the quantity of phosphate administered, on the contrary they seem almost 

 to exercise a disturbing influence. Indeed, whilst an unexpected uniform- 

 ity in the phosphoric acid content of the milk produced by the animals 

 under observation is observed before the phosphates have been adminis- 

 tered to them, this uniformity ceases three or four days after the first ad- 

 ministration. 



Thus, in the eight days which preceded the first administration of 

 bone powder (150 gms. the four first days and 200 gms. the two last) to cow 

 No. I, the phosphoric acid content of its milk varied from a minimum of 

 2.8 per cent to a maximum of 2.94 per cent, but on the third day after the 

 first administration of bone powder, there was a marked depression in the 

 phosphoric acid content (2.63 per cent) which increased the following day 

 (3.24 per cent) and then underwent a new and considerable depression 

 (2.02 per cent). These alternate high and low figures continue for seven or 

 eight days from the last administration of bone powder. Almost the same 

 observations were made with cow No. 2. Uniformity in the phosphoric 

 acid content (3.04 per cent to 3.45 per cent) of its milk before the tricalcic 

 phosphate had been administered, a depression (2.63 per cent) the tliird 

 day after its administration (80 gms. per day for seven days) then the oscil- 

 lations, which however did not extend above the preceding mean content, 

 and finally, seven days after the last administration, a reversion to the ori- 

 ginal regular and constant figure. With cow No. 3 there was a marked 

 increase in the phosphoric acid content of its milk on the third day after 

 a single administration of 200 gms. of dicalcic phosphate. The content 

 reached 3.28 per cent although previously it oscillated between 2.84 per cent 

 and 2.Q5 per cent. Then there were alternate increases and decreases, and 

 only after seven days did the phosphoric acid of the milk revert to within 

 the limits of the original mean value. 



Calcium glycerophosphate gave the same result, the experiment 

 being made four months after that with bone powder. The third daj^ ofter 

 its administration to cow No I a depression in the phosphoric acid 

 content of its milk was evident ; the amount decreased to 2.84 per cent, 

 although it had previously oscillated between 2.99 per cent and 3.19 per 

 cent ; this depression was maintained on the following days, and it was only 

 on the fifth day after the first administration of glycerophosphate (the third 

 from the last administration, when twice the preceding quantity.— 200 

 gms. — was given) that there was a slight increase above the ordinary con- 

 tent (3.29 per cent) ; then there was a fresh depression which, always less 

 marked, was maintained the whole time that the estimation were made. 



The same restilts were obtained by adminivStering to the same cow 

 cereal decoctions containing from 0.56 to l.i gms. of phosphoric acid per 

 litre. The second day after the first administration a large decrease in the 

 phosphoric acid content of the milk (from 3.29-3.26 per cent to 2.68 per 



