MILK. 317 



also occur in proper proportion, and on this point the observations 

 of BUNGE on dogs are of special interest. He found that the 

 mineral bodies of the milk occur in about the same relative propor- 

 tion as they do in the body of the sucking animal. BUNGE found 

 in 1000 parts of the ash the following results (A represents results 

 from the new-born dog and B the milk from the bitch) : 



A B 



K a O 114.2 149.8 



Na 2 O 106.4 88.0 



CaO 295.2 272.4 



MgO 18.2 15.4 



Fe a O 3 7.2 1.2 



P 3 O 6 394.2 342.2 



Cl 83.5 169.0 



BUNGE explains the fact that the milk-ash is richer in potash 

 and poorer in soda than the new-born animal by saying that in the 

 growing animal the growing muscles rich in potash relatively 

 increase find the cartilage rich in soda relatively decreases. BUNGE 

 seeks to explain the high amount of chlorine in the milk-ash also 

 teleologically by the statement that the chlorides not only serve to 

 build up the tissues, but are indispensable in the secretions of the 

 kidneys. In regard to the amount of iron we find an unexpected 

 condition, the ash of the new-born animal containing six times as 

 much as the milk-ash. This condition BUNGE explains by the fact 

 founded on his and ZALESKY'S experiments, that the quantity of 

 iron in the total organism is highest at birth. The new-born 

 animal has therefore a storage of iron for the growth of its organs 

 even at its birth. 



The influence of the food on the composition of the milk is of 

 interest from many points of view and has been the subject of 

 many investigations. From these investigations we learn that in 

 human beings as well as in animals an insufficient diet decreases 

 the quantity of milk, and the quantity of solids in the same, while 

 abundant food increases both. From the observations of DECAISITE 

 on nursing women during the siege of Paris in 1871, the quantity 

 of casein, fat, sugar, and salts, but especially the fat, was found to 

 decrease with insufficient food, while the quantity of lactalbumin 

 was found to be somewhat increased. Food rich in proteids in- 

 creases the quantity of milk, and also the solids contained, especially 



