20 MILK AND ITS HYGIENIC RELATIONS 



figures show the loss suffered by the infant when deprived of 

 colostrum. 



It seems doubtful whether the loss in total weight is detrimental 

 when the weight begins to rise again within a few days after birth. 

 Griffith and Gittings found that the loss of weight after birth could 

 be prevented by giving the child additional human milk during 

 the first day or two, but that after a few weeks no advantage 

 could be detected in these infants over those in whom loss of weight 

 had been allowed to occur. 



Murlin and Bailey concluded that there was not enough food 

 value in colostrum. The calculation upon which this conclusion 

 is based is not clear, but it is not material for the present purpose. 

 Having decided that nature was a delinquent in regard to the pro- 

 vision of food for the early days of an infant's life, these observers 

 prepared percentage feeds of cows' milk to supplement the de- 

 ficiency. They found that ' supplementary feeding of new-born 

 infants from the first day forward with a formula somewhat 

 resembling colostrum in composition, diminished the initial loss 

 of weight, accelerated the return to birth weight, and had no 

 unfavourable effects.' It is not stated which of the three advan- 

 tages is considered the greatest possibly the last. 



A full resume of the literature upon the loss of weight in the 

 early days of life is given by Pies. 



Further questions relating to colostrum are dealt with in 

 Chapters III. and VI. 



D. Ihe Influence of Diet. The investigations and results which 

 have been detailed above, lead without further observation to the 

 conclusion, that the composition of the milk is independent of the 

 constituents of the food within very wide limits. 



Carlyle and Woll show that to some extent the fat production 

 appears to vary independently of the amount of food. 



Thus in one cow (Bessie) as compared with another cow (Dolly), 

 it was found that : 



Bessie, in 1900-1901, produced 42^64 Ibs. of butter- fat more 

 than in 1899-1900, but her food cost $5.42 less than in 

 that year. 



Dolly, in the year 1899-1900, produced 302 Ibs. of butter-fat 

 against 98 Ibs. in the preceding year, and her food cost 

 $1.1 less. 



The experiments carried out by Woll with what was found to 

 be an insufficient supply of food, showed an appreciable fall in 

 the total milk produced, but the fat-ratio appeared to be little 

 affected, although the total fat fell. 



Woll quotes figures from Holtsmark to show that up to a 

 certain point an increase in the amount of milk can be obtained 

 by increasing the food-supply of cows, as shown by the following 

 figures : 



