THE INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS OF MILK 



59 



Bunge (i) gives the percentage of phosphoric anhydride (P a 8 ) 

 in the ash of human milk as 21-3 of the whole, that for cows' milk 

 being 2475. As, however, the total ash of cows' milk is much larger 

 than that of human milk, the total quantity of phosphorus is 

 correspondingly greater. 



Trunz gave figures for the P 2 O 5 content of cows' milk in the 

 two cows whose milk was studied by him. Both cows showed a 

 slight fall of phosphorus in the milk after the colostral period, 

 rising again towards the end of lactation. The figures given show 

 an approximate distribution as follows : 



Raudnitz gives the figure for the phosphorus in cows' milk as 

 0*24 per cent, and for human milk 0*05 per cent. 



Schloss, 1 working with human milk, obtained the values of : 



0-040 per cent, as the average figure for eight women, 

 and 0*044 per cent, 

 and 0-038 per cent, respectively for the two mixed 



samples, 

 or an average of 0*041 per cent. 



Zuckmayer obtained a slightly lower value for the average of 

 a large number of samples, namely, 0-0348 per cent. 1 



Glikin gives values for the distribution of the phosphorus in 

 milk, in especial relation to the lecithin content ; but this is beyond 

 the scope of the present work. 



Fingerling (i) fed goats on phosphorus-containing substances 

 lecithin, phytin, casein, nuclein, nucleic acid, and di-sodium 

 phosphate. No increase was obtained in the phosphorus content, 

 nor of the ash of the milk, nor was there any rise in the total 

 amount of milk given. This agrees with the work of Zuckmayer 

 on pp. 56-57. 



Fingerling concludes, however, that these substances may be 

 used to make up the requisite amount of phosphorus in the food 

 in the case of an animal giving a large quantity of milk and con- 

 sequently in danger of losing too much phosphorus. The other ex- 

 periments by this worker (2), quoted on p. 21, show that when the 

 total phosphorus intake is decreased below the physiological limit 



1 For details compare p. 9. 



