COMPOSITION OF MILK. 
85 
we purchased a thorough-bred short-horn cow, for dairy pur- 
poses. She was in excellent condition and had every indi- 
cation of health, but being far advanced in pregnancy she 
gave but little milk. The first time her milk was brought 
to the daily, it w 7 as discovered to have a remarkably salt 
taste. Nothing was said about it at that time, but a few 
mornings afterwards, some of it was purposely placed before 
us on the breakfast table. This we used in the ordinary pro- 
portion to our coffee, and on drinking it immediately 
exclaimed that some salt was mixed with the coffee, the 
saline flavour being so perceptible. The full particulars were 
then told us. Instructions were given for the cow to be 
dried, which being done, she was shortly afterwards sold. 
On relating the circumstance to some friends in the presence 
of Dr. Aitkin, we were informed by him that during his resi- 
dence at Scutari, where he had gone as First Assistant- Patholo- 
gist to Dr. Lyons, to report on the diseases of the army in the 
East, he could only obtain the milk of goats for ordinary 
use, and that he was unable to drink it in consequence of 
its briny flavour. He gave orders that no more should be 
brought, and on complaining to the purveyor, he learned that 
the goat had just given birth to two young ones. Perhaps 
some of. our readers can furnish us with additional cases of 
this kind, and also inform us whether pregnancy or recent 
parturition has any direct connection with this saline condi- 
tion of the lactiferous secretion. 
THE COMPOSITION OE MILK AT VARIOUS TIMES OE 
THE DAY. 
Professor Boedeker has analysed the milk of a healthy 
cow at various times of the day, with the view of determining 
the changes in the relative amount of its constituents. He 
found that the solids of the evening’s milk (13 per cent.) 
exceeded those of the morning’s milk (10 per cent.) ; while 
the water contained in the fluid was diminished from 89 per 
cent, to 86 per cent. The fatty matters gradually increase 
as the day progresses: in the morning they amount to 2T7 
per cent., at noon to 2’63 per cent., and in the evening to 
5' 42 per cent. This fact is important in a practical point 
of view; for while 16 ounces of morning’s milk will yield 
nearly half an ounce of butter, about double this quantity 
can be obtained from the evening’s milk. The casein is also 
increased, in the evening’s milk, from 2*24 to 2*70 per cent.; 
xxx. 12 
