77ic .Mortality of Infants. <>1 



ment and intercurrent ailings, have been stunted in 

 development, also to infants which are to be weaned 

 from the breast, or where the breast is not entirely 

 sufficient, and to such which possess particularly 

 irritable organs of digestion. The pugnacious con- 

 stipation so often noted in infants that take diluted 

 or undiluted cow's milk will vanish with normal 

 milk and reappear when changed back to the former. 

 Only in those forms of acute indigestion that end 

 with diarrhea, and in which milk in any form is not 

 supported, also the administration of normal milk 

 should be suspended and another regime prescribed 

 by the physician. In all other chronic forms of 

 indigestion and indications of weakness a heightened 

 assimilation of fat is of importance, as this factor of 

 nourishment is particularly well absorbed by the 

 infantile colon without any precursory enzymotic 

 transformation. Clinical observations have been 

 made in this direction by Bicdert, Han.c, Dcmme 

 and at Monti's Polyclinic. The great advantage 

 which normal infants' milk posesses, as compared 

 \vith other "prepared " or "modified '' milks, is that 

 it contains a proper percentage of fat but only a third 

 part of the casein, which is so difficult of digestion, 

 and it is just this fat which allows of a copious sup- 

 ply of calorics without overburdening the digestive 

 organs. An idea prevails that younger infants 

 require a nourishment of different composition than 

 older ones and that mothers' milk undergoes a change 

 with the advancing age of the infant. The more 



