56 



An apparatus for this and the determination of the specific grav- 

 ity, neatly packed in a case and ready for use in hospitals, has been 

 devised by Dr. F. Conrad, and its application been described by 

 him in a pamphlet entitled "Die Untersuchungen der Frauen- 

 milch fuer die Beduerfnisse der aerztlichen Praxis," Bern, 1880, J. 

 Dalp. 



Microscopical Examination. 



It must not be attempted to determine the quantity of fat in 

 woman's milk by means of the microscope. The difficulties which 

 present themselves here are even greater than in the case of cows' 

 milk. 



The butter globules are scarce on the second day after delivery, 

 while the granulated colostrum corpuscles predominate. Gradually 

 the latter disappear while the former increase, until at about the 

 sixth to eighth day after birth, they fill the whole field of vision 

 quite densely. They appear of nearly uniform size, are round and 

 highly refracting. The nourishing qualities of a milk depend on 

 the quantity of fat globules, since milk sugar and albuminates in- 

 crease in proportion. The presence and preponderance of very large 

 butter globules indicates richness in fat. Such milk is more diffi- 

 cult to digest. Milk which contains badly-formed globules is lack- 

 ing in nourishing qualities. 



/. Woman's Milk.— The butter globules at the right upper part of 



the drawing appear irregularly shaped, produced 



by the action of acetic acid upon them. 



