The composition of cows' milk in health and disease / by A. Wynter Blyth.

  • Alexander Wynter Blyth
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The composition of cows' milk in health and disease / by A. Wynter Blyth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    11/18 (page 7)
    3. Quantitative Estimation of the different Constituents of Milk. With regard to the total solid constituents of milk, the amount of milk-fat, the ash, and the percentage of what has been termed solids not fat, there is nothing new to offer, some thousands of analyses having definitely settled as much as a matter of the kind can be settled, the general and average propoi'tions of those substances. But it may be remarked, that the analyses of the analysts, as well as those of physiologists, only exceptionally show any determinations of the albumin, and very erroneous statements have been made with reference to the percentage of albumin in milk. It appears from my numerous analyses to vary as a rule within comparatively speaking small limits, and therefore should be more frequently estimated. The highest amount I have hitherto obtained was from milk derived from a healthy Devon cow, in which it reached 1345 per cent. The lowest in a cow suffering from phthisis 0320 per cent. ' In over 90 per cent, of the milk from healthy cows the percentage of albumin varied from 0'5 to a little under 1 per cent., the mean being 0 77 per cent. Similarly the highest determination of casein was from a Guernsey cow, the highest being 4-8 per cent. The lowest from a cow suffering from phthisis, 2'9 per cent. The average amount of casein in healthy cows' milk appears to be very nearly 4*00 per cent. The following table gives as complete a view of the relative proportions of the different bodies in cows' milk as at present is possible. Average Composition of Healthy Cows' Milk. Parts 'Olein 1-477.. Stearin and. • • ■ ] j^-^gQ Palmitin / Milk fat .. -i Butyrin 0-270. . Caproin T Caprylin and .. > 0-003. . Rutin J Casein Albumin Milk-sugar Galactin per cent, by weight. 3-50 3- 98 0-77 4- 00 0-17 Lactochrome undetermined Bitter principle (glucoside ?) O'Ol* * Mean of four determinationo only.