Common disorders and diseases of childhood / by George Frederic Still.

  • George Frederic Still
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Common disorders and diseases of childhood / by George Frederic Still. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

    52/786 page 36
    Ay will be seen, the proportions mentioned above, if expressed in terms of porcentcage composition, would be as follows : , , Proteid. Approximate Composition of Proteid. 3 months 2-0 per cent. Casein 1-6 Lactalbumen 0-4 6 months 2- 6 per cent. Casein 2-1 Lactalbumen 0-5 9 months 3-0 per cent. Casein 2-4 Lactalbumen 0-6 It seems likely that the proportion of proteid in these mixtures is more than is absolutely necessary ; in human milk the total proteid is often below 2 per cent, at any period of lactation: and experience seems to show that, so long as the deficiency of fat and sugar in diluted cow's milk is corrected, a proportion of about 2 per cent, of proteid or very shghtly above, is sufficient. But in this very correction lies a practical difficulty ; the sugar is easily enough arranged, but the fat cannot always be adjusted conveniently ; cream is not always easily obtained, and if it is, may be of doubtful quality, so that we are constrained sometimes, especially in dealing with the poor, to use mixtures in which nothing further is attempted than simple dilution and addition of sugar. Under these circumstances it is important that the dilution should be as little as is consistent with digestion, lest the deficiency of fat give trouble by inducing rickets or otherwise interfering with nutrition. As a matter of experience, I think it may be said that given a fairly good milk supply, dilution in the proportions mentioned above gives just a sufficiently high proportion of fat to avoid the occurrence of rickets. There are, of course, other factors in the production of rickets besides deficiency of fat in the diet ; the presence of starch, especially of much starch, may prevent the assimilation of the fat that is present and so aggravate the evil of a low proportion of fat : but assuming that a milk mixture is given which contains no starch, the above proportions can safely be used ^^ithout addition of cream. Any further dilution makes some compen- satory addition of fat necessary, if the risk of rickets is to be avoided. Cream and fat. The methods of correcting deficiency of fat in the food are worthy of careful study. However little cow's milk is diluted, there is necessarily some deficiency of fat in the mixture ; compare, for instance, the following mixtures of coav's milk and water, with human milk :
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