Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1915-02-17
copyright. 1914, by A. S. Gray)
MOTHERS MILK.

1t Is universally conceded that the
most carefully bottlefed infant has a
smaller chance of escaping trouble and
achieving health and life than breast
fed baby of the most ignorant and
slovenly mother
OF course, when the child's artificial
food is prepared and given by an intel
hgent person under competent advice,
the baby may get through with mini
mum of discomfort and danger from
digestive disorders arising from bac-
terial contamination of it's food from
unclean cans, bottles, spoons, nipples,
tubes and other utensils, devices and
attachments intervening between the
COW or the factory and it's mouth; but
granting that all sources of bacterial
contamination are overcome, there
still will remain the absence of an au
Dramatically adjusting physiological
food supply. which no other than the
human animal can furnish.
In composition milk is highly COM
pick and variable. The important con-
stituents are the fats, held in emul-
sion as minute oil droplets; casein, a
nucleo-albumen which clots under the
influence of rennin; milk albumen or
lactalbumen; proteid resembling
serum albumen; lactoglobulin; lactOse
or milk sugar; lecithin, cholesterin,
phosphocarnic acid, urea, citric acid,
engines and mineral salts. The min
eral contents of milk comprise appre-
ciable quantities of sodium, calcium,
magnesium, iron phosphorus and cho-
rine, besides probably minute quanti-
ties of other elements not yet deter
mined
By reason of the fact that casein
and milk sugar do not exist in the
blood 1t is held that they are formed
by the secretory metabolism of the
gland cell under the action of hor.
none Stimulating property And the
astrological appearance of the gland
cells during secretion leads to the
view that the fat is also constructed
within the gland itself Bunge has
called attention to the fact that the in
organic salts of milk differ quantita.
lively from those in the blood plasma
and resemble closely the proportions
found in the body of the young animal.
thus indicating an adaptive secretion.
The casein of human milk is smaller
in amount. curdles in looser focks
than cows milk and seems to dissolve
more easily and completely in gastric
Juice Human milk also contains relax
lively more lecithin and less ash. while
cows milk, on the other hand, con-
tans less sugar and fat Human milk, |
in short, is a complex compound no
factory can even approximate to any |
appreciate degree.
Experience by poultry raisers proves
artificial brooding to be lamentably in
efficient; the best kerosene lamp, as
sisted by the most earnest human ef
fort, making but pitiable showing |
compared with the average results
achieved by a sturdy old hen-and bot
tie fed babies are about at par with
brooder chicks.
The absence of normal building ma
terial while the foundations of life are
being laid insures a handicap the or
ganism must carry all through life;
hence every mother should recognize
the ethical and racial obligations she
is under to keep up supply of milk
through the period of normal lactation
This brings up the question of how
a poor or deficient supply of mothers
milk may be increased or bettered and
how 1t may be maintained through the
period of lactation. Generally the
physician is not consulted about the
matter until a short time before the
baby is expected, and then the best he
can do is to recommend a nourishing
diet.
The COW Is generally believed to be
the most placid, calm and docile of ami
mails; nevertheless she is highly sensi-
tive to handling and under identical
of food and stabling one
mixer may be able to secure nearly
double the quantity of milk from the
same COW that another mixer will pro-
duce, the difference in the results de-
pending on the bond of sympathy es-
Ia blshed between the animal and the
mixer. Good food and equanimity
then, are essential factors to an abun-
dant milk supply. Inasmuch as all
animal life is subject to the same
laws it is reasonable to assume that
as the human being is more intellec-
tual than the COW, mental irritation [
and anxiety may exert proportionately
even a greater influence on the hui s
mar milk secretion. But however that
may be, obviously the full action Of {