Semi-Centennial Volume. 213 



any authority in France on infant feeding. You cannot but be im- 

 pressed with the mass of statistics and tables by which he gives his 

 arguments for the use of sterilized milk. His book, "The Nursling," 

 with its ten lectures may be profitably studied. 



Dr. Walter Lester Carr, in an introduction to the American edition of 

 Doctor Budin's book, makes a criticism as follows: "These lectures are 

 wanting in a description of what is known in America as the percentage 

 method for modifying milk for infants and the calculations made on the 

 basis of the use of whole milk sterilized may be questioned as unreliable 

 from the standpoint of scientific infant feeding. Percentage modifica- 

 tions have no part in this book, as can be seen at a cursory glance, but 

 the valuable part of the work is shown in an appreciation of the mortality 

 of young infants both in and out of the hospital due to the inability of 

 mothers to nurse their offspring and to the ignorance of the mothers in 

 the esentials of artificial feeding. The care of the milk, the instruction 

 to the mothers in methods of feeding and in cleanliness and the personal 

 oversight exercised by the physicians under Doctor Budin's direction, had 

 much to do with the improved health of the infants whose histories are 

 recorded; sterilized milk was not alone responsible for the improvement. 

 Sterilized milk was for Doctor Budin's purpose better than unsterilized 

 stale milk, but putting aside any consideration of the relative values of un- 

 sterilized and sterilized milk for infants the fact remains that Doctor 

 Budin presents in his course of lectures details of infant feeding and man- 

 agement that gave him good results and are of great clinical interest to all 

 who are working with a definite purpose towards a goal of a lessened 

 infantile morbidity and mortality." 



Doctor Budin's theory i§ in short that the sterilization of cow's milk 

 lessens the difficulties with the digestion of casein and he feels sure that 

 infants fed with sterilized milk suffer less from rickets, scurvy, and in- 

 testinal disorders than infants fed in other ways. 



Dennett in "Simplified Infant Feeding" (1915) says that in prescribing 

 food for any infant, there are three main points for consideration. First: 

 it should contain the proper elements to maintain nutrition and to allow 

 growth; second: it should be digestible; and third: it should contain 

 the proper quantity of food, which is best estimated by caloric standards. 

 Dennett states that he believes and has proven to his satisfaction that any 

 deficiency in fat may be made up by adding sugar. In support of this 

 he says, "How else can one explain the splendid results obtained in feeding 

 infants throughout the bottle period with a mixture containing far less 

 fat than breast milk? For these reasons it is not necessary to use top- 

 milk mixtures or to add cream to milk mixtures." Dennett also states in 

 regard to proprietary baby food as follows: "If a proprietary food has 

 been used, one must know what that proprietary food contains, in order 

 not to repeat the error that has already caused digestive disturbances or 

 malnutrition." Dennett's idea of proprietary foods for infants is that 

 many of these foods are made up of ingredients which may be very 

 properly used in infant feeding with great benefit to the individual in- 

 fant — if the physician does not object to the use of a food that is adver- 

 tised to the laity. Further he says, however, that these foods should be 



