MILK IN ITS RELATION TO INFANT FEEDING 587 



'rof. Mathews has to say in favor of the use of lactose in infant 

 geding. The following paragraph is taken from Prof. Mathews 

 ext-book on physiologic chemistry: 



"The greater proportion of lactose in human milk may be 

 orrelated with the very much greater brain development of hu- 

 aan beings. There is a very rapid myelinization of the fibers of 

 he brain occurring shortly after birth in the first six weeks of 

 ife. In myelin there is a large amount of galactolipins of the 

 mature of phrenosin or cerebrosids of various kinds. Galactose 

 3 one of the constituents of this materiaL It may be that the 

 arger amount of lactose in human milk is to supply this need. 



other place of formation of galactose in the body is known than 

 he mammary glands, and these are, of course, very rudimentary 

 i the infant. The replacement of lactose by cane-sugar in milk 

 r in milk substitutes would seem open to serious criticism on this 

 ccount." 



The diluent for milk may consist of boiled water or the various 

 gruels. Gruel as a diluen t for milk was innovated by the French. 



Jacobi in this country advocated the use of barley gruel in 

 ases of diarrhea and oatmeal gruel in cases of constipation. In 

 study made of oatmeal gruel in infant feeding Levinson corrob- 

 rates the findings of Jacobi regarding the efficacy of oatmeal 

 z;ruel in relieving constipation. He also recommends its use in 

 nfant feeding because of its caloric value and its high iron content. 

 Rice-water is frequently used by mothers in cases of diarrhea. 



e different gruels, although they may often be indicated, are 

 lot indispensable, and plain boiled water may be used in their 

 tead as a diluent for milk. 



The question of raw or boiled milk is one that has not yet been 

 >ettled. Pasteurized milk was for years considered the ideal food 

 or infants. Now, however, boiled milk is held to be not only as 

 ;ood as pasteurized milk, but even better. Only very small 

 urds are formed in the stomach after the intake of boiled milk, 

 ind hardly any curds are found in the stool after its ingestion. 

 Boiling of milk has another advantage it destroys the bacteria 

 hat may contaminate the milk. As for the objection so fre- 

 quently raised against the use of boiled milk, that it gives rise to 

 curvy, the early use of fruit juices acts as a very efficient pre- 

 entive. The only state in which raw milk should be given to an 

 nfant is when the milk is certified., i. e., when it bears a seal show- 

 ng that it has been prepared under extraordinary aseptic condi- 

 ions under the supervision of medical men. However, even with 

 uch precautions one often runs a greater risk than in using boiled 

 nilk. 



Whatever the state of the milk given to the infant, it should 



