SO-CALLED 'BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES' OF MILK 



75 



be regarded as a property of milk which, if of any value, will 

 emphasise the necessity for breast-feeding, but, since it is absent 

 in cows' milk, can play no part in the nutrition of the infant fed 

 artificially on cows' milk. 



The following table summarises the facts dealt with in the 

 preceding pages : 



CHAPTER V 



THE SO-CALLED 'BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES* OF MILK 



A. THE FERMENTS OR ENZYMES 



THE literature upon the subject-matter of this chapter would fill 

 many volumes. Many authors have dealt with the different 

 varieties of enzymes present, and have investigated the mechanism 

 of their actions. Much of the literature, however, is concerned 

 with other aspects arising out of the occurrence of the ferments, 

 such as the detection of the heating of milk, the presence of disease 

 in the udder of the cow, or of the number of bacteria present in 

 the milk. All these aspects will need to be considered, although 

 some will be briefly dealt with. 



The ferments which have been found in milk can be placed 

 under two main headings : i, those which might act upon the 

 foodstuffs present in milk, thus aiding its digestion, and 2, those 

 which might assist in the oxidising and reducing processes in the 

 body. The former group will be considered first. 



The ferments which might act upon substances present in 

 milk will fall into the following groups . 



(1) Proteolytic. 



(2) Lipolytic. 



(3) Lacta'se. 



