i] SECRETION OF MILK 7 



indirect influence on the quality of milk, as we shall 

 point out farther on ; so far, however, as we at 

 present understand the subject, the direct influence 

 of food, as has been again and again proved, as, for 

 example, by changing the diet, is insignificant in 

 extent. That milk is not filtered blood is further 

 supported by the 

 fact that none of 

 the organic con- 

 stituents of milk 

 are present in the 

 blood. Again, we 



find the propor- FlQ ^..CAPILLARY BLOOD-VESSELS. Magnified 



tion of the differ- 18 times - ( FUrsteilber g-) 



ent ash constituents in blood and in milk to be 

 different. In the former it is found that sodium salts 

 predominate ; while in the latter potassium salts are 

 more abundant. On the other hand, considerable 

 support to the correctness of the second theory seems 

 to be afforded by the fact that in colostrum, the name 

 applied to the milk yielded immediately after giving 

 birth, are to be found certain minute corpuscles, the 

 so-called colostrum corpuscles (corps granuleux), which 

 exhibit traces of cell structure. 



How far, however, even this second theory satis- 

 factorily accounts for the formation of milk is 

 doubtful. It may be, indeed, that the various con- 

 stituents of the blood and the lymph bodies, as well 



