THE GENERAL COMPOSITION OF MILK 



In later analyses Meigs and Marsh give the amounts of fat, 

 lactose, and protein in the second month of lactation (that is, 

 when the colostral period is over and the milk may be considered 

 to be of average composition) as follows : 



Fat, from 2-4 per cent., both for human milk and cows' milk. 



Lactose, from 6-7-5 per cent, for human and 3-5-5 per cent, for 

 cows' milk. 



Protein, from o'7-i'5 percent, for human and 2-5-4-0 per cent, 

 for cows' milk. 



Further estimations of the average amount of some constituents 

 of human milk are given by the following authors : 



Schloss, who took the total milk given in twenty-four hours by 

 eight different women and the mixed milk of fifteen to sixteen 

 wet-nurses on two separate occasions, obtained the following 

 figures : 



Bamberg, taking samples of milk expressed from the gland 

 before and after the feeding of the infant, and then mixed together, 

 so as to secure as far as possible a fair sample, obtained the following 

 average figures for human milk : 



Sugar (20 samples) 

 Fat (27 samples) 



Nitrogen (27 samples) 

 Ash (27 samples) 



Per cent. 

 6-69 

 3*1 



0*211 

 0-215 



Very considerable differences occur in the constituents of the ash 

 of the two varieties of milk, which will be dealt with later. 



It is not necessary to consider all the data given by numerous 



1 Difference due to more first milk being taken in collecting the second 

 sample. 



