732 
by infants does not become high until the second week, it may be as- 
sumed that skimmed milk will more nearly meet their requirements 
at this age than whole cow’s milk. 
Skimmed milk is obtained either as centrifugally skimmed milk 
from the dairy or by siphoning off the under half of a quart bottle of 
milk whose cream has risen. 
Skimmed milk has the following average composition : 
Per cent. 
Fat 0. 50 to 1. 00 
Proteid 3. 50 
Sugar 4. 50 
Salts 0. 75 
Water 90. 75 to 90. 25 
Caloric value per kilogram, 374.5 to 421. 
The amounts to be taken are determined as previously explained. 
After the end of the first week one-third whole milk and two-thirds 
skimmed milk can be given; after the end of the second, one-half 
whole milk and one-half skimmed milk ; at the end of the third week, 
three-quarters whole milk and one-quarter skimmed milk, passing to 
whole milk at the beginning of the first month. 
FEEDING OF OLDER INFANTS. 
The seventh month of infancy marks the time when it is desirable 
to supplement exclusive milk feeding by some other food. This 
should take the form of some cereal broth, and should be added to the 
milk in the proportion of one-third broth to two-thirds milk. 
The preparations recommended for this purpose are dextrinized 
gruels, oatmeal jelly, and barley water. 
Dextrinized gruel . — Make a thin paste of cold water and 1 or 2 
heaping tablespoonfuls of barley, wheat or rice flour, add 1 quart 
of boiling water, and boil for fifteen minutes in a double boiler. 
When the gruel is cool enough to be easily tasted, dextrinize by adding 
1 teaspoonful of diastase solution. An active solution of diastase 
may be prepared by soaking a tablespoonful of crushed malted barley 
grains in sufficient cold water to cover them (about 2 tablespoon- 
fuls) and placing the mixture in the refrigerator over night. In the 
morning the liquid which resembles weak tea is strained off. A table- 
spoonful of this fluid will dextrinize a pint of gruel in fifteen minutes. 
Or, a good commercial preparation of diastase may be used. 
Oatmeal jelly . — To 2 tablespoonfuls of oatmeal add 1 quart of 
water and boil for three hours, keeping up the quantity to 1 quart by 
the addition of water as it boils away. Strain through coarse muslin. 
As this forms a jelly when cold, it should be added warm to the food. 
Barley water . — Tliis is prepared in the same way. Barley grains 
or barley flour may be used. If the former, soak the grains in water ' 
over night. 
