104 SECRETION. 



to these corpuscular elements, a small quantity of mucosine 

 may frequently be observed in the colostrum, on microscopi- 

 cal examination. 



On the addition of ether to a specimen of colostrum 

 under the microscope, most of the fatty particles, both within 

 and without the colostrum-corpuscles, are dissolved. Am- 

 monia added to the fluid renders it stringy, and sometimes the 

 entire mass assumes a gelatinous consistence. 



In its proximate composition, the colostrum presents 

 many points of difference from true milk. It is sweeter to 

 the taste, and contains a greater proportion of sugar and of 

 the inorganic salts. The proportion of fat is at least equal 

 to the proportion in the milk, and is generally greater. In- 

 stead of caseine, the pure colostrum contains a large propor- 

 tion of albumen; and as the character of the secretion 

 changes in the process of lactation, the albumen becomes 

 gradually reduced in quantity and caseine takes its place. 



Without referring in detail to the numerous analyses of 

 colostrum in the human subject and in the inferior animals, 

 by Simon, Lassaigne, and others, the following, deduced 

 from the analyses of Clemm, may be taken as the ordinary 

 composition of this fluid in the human female : 



Composition of the Colostrum. 1 



Water 945'24 to 851-97 



Albumen 29*81 " 80'73 



Butter 7-07" 41'30 



Sugarofmilk 17'27 " 43*69 



Chloride of sodium 0'51 "j 



Chloride of potassium 1'25 



Phosphates and sulphates of potassa, of lime, > 4*41 " 5*44 



and of magnesia 2-96 



Phosphate of iron O'Ol J 



Colostrum ordinarily decomposes much more readily than 

 milk, and takes on putrefactive changes very rapidly. If it be 

 allowed to stand for from twelve to twenty-four hours, it sep- 



1 ROBIN, Lemons sur les humeurs, Paris, 1867, p. 409. 



