ments showed that the addition of lime water to 
milk simply prevents the action of rennet until the 
alkali is neutralized by the secretion of HCl in the 
stomach , but does not affect the character of the 
curd which is then formed. Probably the only 
effect of the small amount of lime water, usually 
added to milk in infant feeding, is to neutralize 
some of the lactic acid which may be developed 
in it. 
The practical importance of using cereal decoc¬ 
tions as diluents of milk is so obvious that I shall 
do no more than mention it. Milk is one of the 
most important of food-stuffs ; it is the exclusive 
food for infants, the basis of the diet of older 
children, and is commonly used by adults where 
digestion is impaired from whatever cause, as in 
fevers, diseases of the stomach and intestines, and 
nephritis, and any method which can increase its 
digestibility has a wide practical application. 
Surely, every physician who has to feed an infant 
upon cow's milk with its j per cent, of casein in 
place of human milk with ]/ 2 perc ent. op casein, 
willf ully appreciate any method which will render 
thecoagulum more digestible. The conclusions from 
my observations may be summarized as follows : 
1. Dilution of milk with cereal decoctions op 
proper strength renders the casein curd much 
more fine , soft and digestible than simple dilution 
with w&ter .* There is no difference in the action 
of various cereals, such as barley, oats, rice or 
wheat. 
2. The above property is due mainly , if not 
wholly , to the starch in solution , the most desirable 
* When the cow’s milk is modified by the addition of 
Eskay’s Albumenized Food the formation of tough curds is 
entirely prevented. See cut at end of this article, page 12. 
