CHAPTER IV 



FILTH AS infants' FOOD 



Thus far we have considered only those disad- 

 vantages in the use of cow's milk as a substitute for 

 mother's milk which are inherent in the differences 

 between the human and bovine species. That the 

 very best cow's milk obtainable, modified by the most 

 expert physician, is not a perfect substitute for the 

 liquid which the lacteal cells of the mother secrete 

 from her food, to become the food of her offspring, is 

 only another way of saying that, so far as we have 

 yet progressed, there is always an element of danger 

 in the use of any substitute for breast-feeding. The 

 danger is by far the greatest when any of the manu- 

 factured foods are used and least when the milk of 

 the cow or the goat, properly modified by the use of 

 diluents containing either alkaline elements or the 

 gruel of cereals is used. But at best there is some 

 danger. 



Now we must consider some other elements of 

 danger which are very important, and which differ 

 from those we have been considering in that they are 



