84 DAIRY CHEMISTRY 



its normal condition. Such milk is called colostrum 

 milk, and has a different chemical composition from 

 ordinary milk. Colostrum milk is yellow in color 

 and has a sweetish taste and a characteristic oily 

 feeling. When boiled it coagulates on account of 

 the large amount of albumin which is present. 

 When hot water is poured into colostrum milk, it 

 curdles. Colostrum milk has a higher specific grav- 

 ity than normal milk, frequently reaching 1.064. 



Composition of Colostrum Milk^ 



Per cent 



Water 71.50 



Solids 28.50 



Solids contain : — 



Fat ....... . 6.04 



Casein 3.50 



Albumin 12.67 



Sugar 4.85 



Ash 1.35 



Undetermined ...... 0.09 



28.50 



The term " colostrum " is used because of the presence 

 in such milk of circular bodies larger than the fat 

 globules, and known as colostrum cells. These co- 

 lostrum cells are similar in structure to the white 

 corpuscles in blood, from which it is supposed they 

 are derived. When examined under the microscope 

 while the milk is still warm, they show the amoeboid 

 movement of the white corpuscles. 



1 Analysis made by the author. 



