MILK. 153 



ART.V. MILK. 



THE general aspect and qualities of milk are known to all ; 

 they need not therefore be here detailed. 



Healthy and fresh milk, when submitted to the action of 

 test paper, exhibits an alkaline reaction : in states of disease, 

 however, and some time after its removal from the mam- 

 mary gland, it frequently manifests more or less of an acid 

 reaction. 



Like the other fluids which have as yet been described in 

 this work, milk is made up of two distinct elements, the one 

 fluid, the serum, the other solid, the globules; these, a few 

 hours after its abstraction from the system, and when left 

 at rest, undergo to a certain extent a spontaneous separation 

 from each other, the larger globules ascending to the surface 

 forming a scum or cream, while the smaller remain diffused 

 through the subjacent serum. 



The following analyses will serve to give an idea of the 

 composition of milk. 



The relative proportions of the organic constituents of 

 human milk are thus estimated by Simon : 



88-06 water. 

 3 -70 caseine. 

 4 '54 sugar. 

 3-40 butter. 

 0-30 salts, extractives, &c. 



The inorganic components of the milk of the cow are com- 

 puted as follows by Haidlen : 



Chloride of sodium - 0-024. 



Chloride of potassium - 0-144. 



Soda - 0- 42. 



Phosphate of lime - - 0-231. 



Phosphate of magnesia - 0-042. 

 Phosphate of the peroxide of iron - 0*007. 

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