Milk of Various Species 253 



species, including human milk, given herewith, is taken 

 mostly from figures given in Richmond's Dairy Chem- 

 istry : 



Composition of the milk of mammals {per cent) 



Species Water Drj^ matter Ash Casein Albumin Sugar Fat 



Bitch 75.44 24.54 .73 6.10 5.05 3.09 9.57 



Ewe 79.40 20.56 .97 5.23 1.45 4.28 8.63 



Sow 84.04 15.96 1.05 7.23 3.13 4.55 



Goat 86.04 13.96 .70 3.49 .86 4.22 4.63 



Cow* 87.10 12.90 .70 3.20 5.10 3.90 



Woman 88.20 11.80 .20 1. .50 6.80 3.30 



Mare 89.80 10.20 .30 1.84 6.89 1.17 



The milks are arranged in the order of their rich- 

 ness, the dry matter present varying from 24.54 per 

 cent to 10.20 per cent. Those containing a high pro- 

 portion of total solids, particularly those from the 

 bitch and the ewe, are especially rich in proteids and 

 fat, the percentages of sugar being less than half those 

 in the poorer milks. It is noteworthy that the pro- 

 portions of proteids and fats in the milk decrease, and 

 the percentage of sugar increases, as the total solids 

 diminish. Two-thirds of the solids of mare's milk is 

 sugar, the proportion of this constituent in the dry 

 matter of a ewe's milk being only about one -eighth. 



If we assume that the milk of each species is best 

 adapted to its own progeny, it follows that when the 

 young of other species is fed the -milk of the coav, as 

 is so often done, this milk should be modified so far 

 as possible to simulate that provided under natural 

 conditions. When, for instance, cow's milk is fed to 



* Vau Slyke. 



