632 MILK. 



contains less casein than that of brunettes, a difference which TOLMATSCHEFF l 

 could not substantiate. Women of delicate constitutions yield a milk richer in 

 solids, especially in casein, than women with strong constitutions (V. and B.). 



According to VERNOIS and BECQUEREL, the age of the woman has an effect on 

 the composition of the milk, so that we find a greater quantity of proteins and 

 fat in women 15-20 years old and a smaller quantity of sugar. The smallest 

 quantity of proteins and the greatest quantity of sugar are found at 20 or from 

 25 to 30 years of age. VERNOIS and BECQUEREL, consider that the milk with the 

 first-born is richer in water with a proportionate diminution of casein, sugar, 

 and fat than after several deliveries. 



The influence of menstruation seems to slightly diminish the milk-sugar and 

 to considerably increase the fat and casein (VERNOIS and BECQUEREL). 



Witch's milk is the secretion of the mammary glands of new-born children 

 of both sexes immediately after birth. This secretion has from a qualitative stand- 

 point the same constitution as milk, but may show important differences and 

 variations from a quantitative point of view. SCHLOSSBERGER and HAUFF, 

 GUBLER and QUEVENNE, and v. GrENSER, 2 have made analyses of this milk and 

 give the following results: 10.5-28 p. m. proteins, 8.2-14.6 p. m. fat, and 9-60 

 p. m. sugar. 



As milk is the only form of nourishment during a certain period of the 

 life of man and mammals, it must contain all the nutriment necessary 

 for life. This fact is shown by the milk containing representatives of the 

 three chief groups of organic nutritive substances proteins, carbohy- 

 drates, and fat, and the last two groups can here also in part mutually 

 substitute each other. Besides this all milk seems to contain, without 

 doubt, also some lecithin and nucleon. The mineral bodies in milk must 

 also occur in proper proportions, and on this point the experiments of 

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

 of the milk occur in about the same relative proportion as they do in the 

 body of the sucking animal. BUNGE 3 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) : 



K 2 O 114.2 149.8 



Na 2 106.4 88.0 



CaO 295.2 272.4 



MgO 18.2 15.4 



Fe 2 3 7.2 1.2 



PA , 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 ash of the muscles rich in potash relatively increases and the 

 cartilage rich in soda relatively decreases. In regard to the amount 



M'Heritier, cited from Hoppe-Seyler, Physiol. Chem., 738; Vernois and Bec- 

 querel, Du lait chez la femme dans l'e"tat de sante", etc. (Paris, 1853); Tolmatscheff, 

 Hoppe-Seyler, Med.-chem. Untersuch., 272. 



2 Schlossberger and Hauff, Annal. d. Chem. u. Pharm., 96; Gubler and Quevenne, 

 cited from Hoppe-Seyler's Physiol. Chem., 723; v. Genser, ibid. 



3 Zeitschr. f . physiol. Chem., 13. 



