MILK 



HISTORICAL 



IF we take a survey of evolution in the animal kingdom we 

 are impressed with the observation that the higher the stage at- 

 tained, the more dependent are the newborn on their parents. 

 Especially is this apparent in the inability to procure and assim- 

 ilate food. Nature has provided for this deficiency by furnishing 

 the maternal parent with the means of producing suitable nourish- 

 ment during the necessary period, thus enabling the young to ob- 

 tain the most fundamental necessity for maintaining life. This 

 food is the fluid secretion of the mammary gland milk. 



In later discussions it will be shown that each mammal pro- 

 duces milk of a composition peculiarly suited to its offspring. 

 However, all kinds of milk contain the essential elements necessary 

 to support life, even though the relative proportions of these ele- 

 ments vary. Therefore milk from any mammal must have a 

 high nutritive value for man. It seems natural enough today to 

 use the milk of other mammals for our own food, but in all prob- 

 ability many ages passed before man learned to do so. 



It seems impossible to ascertain at what period man began to 

 utilize milk from other mammals. We have learned much of 

 man's past history previous to the introduction of historic records 

 by study of ancient tools and implements which have been dis- 

 covered. Whether these tools and implements were used for 

 peaceful occupations or .for aggressive and defensive warfare is 

 immaterial; in any case they have aided us in forming conceptions 

 of the mode of life of prehistoric man. Among these implements 

 the churn is pre-eminent. The churn has been a constant com- 

 panion of man throughout his forward struggle, and its efficiency 

 has been developed in answer to man's needs and progress. Its 

 history has been compiled in a most interesting book by Benno 

 Martiny, entitled "Kirne and Qirbe." "Kirne" is derived from 

 the Finnish word Kirnu, and means churn, chiefly the immovable 

 churn. "Girbe" means the Arabian girba or kirba, which is a 

 hose made of leather and used for containing milk, wine, and other 

 liquids. The following brief historic outline is taken largely from 

 this book. 



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