172 CLEAN MILK 



However, rich milk is always diluted in proportion to the fat it con- 

 tains, when properly fed to infants. 



The advocates of the theory that cow's proteids are suitable 

 -for children recommend that babies be fed on whole skim milk 

 from birth to the end of the first month, and then upon whole 

 cow's milk after that time— providing the cow's milk does not 

 exceed 3.5 per cent, in fat-content. 



While this method simplifies feeding of babies, yet it must be 

 appreciated that the chemical, and physical properties of fat, lactose 

 and proteids are different in cows' and human milk. Furthermore, 

 actual experience in the feeding of young infants has not proved that 

 this is the best method, as both skimmed milk and whole milk often 

 absolutely disagree with babies during the first months of their life. 



One of the chief difficulties physicians have in prescribing milk 

 mixtures for babies is their ignorance of the exact composition of 

 the milk and cream which their patients will use. The milk from 

 the same herds will be of very uniform composition, varying some- 

 what with the season, but hardly enough to make any material 

 difference in calculations for infant feeding. The dipper used 

 for removing the cream is shown in Fig. 53, and is two and one- 

 fourth inches long and three-fourths of an inch in diameter. It 

 holds a tablespoonful or one-half an ounce of milk, and is used 

 to remove any part of the top milk without mixing the milk with 

 the cream. A siphon (Fig. 53) is also furnished customers to 

 remove the skim milk from the milk bottle. This we find is gen- 

 erally employed and liked by families who use cream on the table, 

 and at ten cents a bottle for milk containing five per cent, of fat 

 the customers get as much, or more, cream than could be bought 

 for this sum and have the skim milk to use in cooking. The 

 siphon, of glass tubing, three-eighths of an inch outside diameter, 

 has a short arm, just long enough {g l / 2 in.) to reach to the very 

 bottom of the milk bottle, and a long arm five inches longer. The 

 siphon is filled with clean water by holding the shorter arm under 



