670 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Nov., 1916. 



to I'ermentation and less liable to irritate the stomach. The fat is 

 already emulsified and more readily available to the body than the fats 

 of other foods except eggs. 



The proteins of milk are of high nutritive value. When milk is 

 taken under normal conditions (even in relatively large quantity and 

 in connexion with only a small amount of bread or other solid food) 

 about 97 to 98 per cent, of milk protein is absorbed. Numerous recent 

 digestive and metabolic experiments indicate that under normal condi- 

 tions it is as completely digested and absorbed as any of the food 

 proteins, and has the advantage of not containing the substances which 

 yield uric acid in the body, nor of being readily susceptible to intestinal 

 putrefaction. Not only do the milk proteins show a high coefficient of 

 digestibility, but metabolic experiments and clinical observations show 

 that milk furnishes a form of protein food particularly adapted to bring 

 about a storage of protein in the body. This is considered due in part 

 to the fact that casein contains phosphorus as an essential constituent. 

 The ash constituents of milk are important, not only for their property 

 of being adequate in the absence of all other ash constituents, but also 

 in their bearing upon the adequacy of the phosphoms, calcium, and iron 

 supply in a mixed diet. Phosphorus compounds are present in milk in 

 relative abundance and in a variety of forms. Calcium is present in 

 still greater proportion. Milk contains slightly more calcium, volume 

 for volume, than does limewater. Iron is present in milk in only small 

 quantities, but evidently in a form exce])tionally favorable for assimila- 

 tion, as a diet of milk and white bread appears to be adequate for the 

 maintenance of iron equilibrium in man, whereas white bread alone in 

 larger quantity on a diet of bread, and iron-free protein is much less 

 efficient. 



Furthermore, as the late Dr. A. C. H. Rothera explained, milk 

 contains substances other than fats, proteins, carbo-hydrates, and salts, 

 which perform important nutritive functions, especially in relation to 

 growth. 



Taking into consideration the many and important factors which 

 increase the value of milk as food above that indicated by its mere 

 proximate composition and fuel value, and also the fact that it requires 

 no preparation and has no waste, it is believed to be true economy to 

 make liberal use of milk in the diet so long as the milk does not cost 

 more than twice as much in proportion to the energy it furnishes as 

 the average food eaten. On this basis, families who must live on as 

 little as 8d. to lOd. per person per day for food may wisely use reason- 

 able quantities of milk at 5d. per quart, balancing this by a larger use 

 of such food as bread, which furnishes energy much more cheaply than 

 the average food of the diet. Especially in the feeding of children 

 ■diould milk be used freely, because of its raanv advantages as a 

 '^tissue builder" and "growth pi'omoting " food. The vitamines which 

 Dr. Rothera spoke about are found in milk, butter, eggs, and cod liver 

 oil. but not in lard, cottonseed oil, or olive oil. 



Cheese. 

 A pound of cheese represents the casein and fat of a gallon of 

 average milk. Cheese is thus a concentrated and economical food, 

 especially when compared wdth other foods of animal origin. Generally 

 '•peaking, cheese sells at no his:her price per lb. than the ordinary cut? 

 of meat, while it is considerably rielier in both proteins and fats. 



