Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-11
HERD MILK VARIES
ON D|GEST|B|L|TY,
CURD TESTS SHOW
Cracked Milk for Babies Held
Possible NutritionaI Need
by White House Study.
TENSION OF GLOBULES
CAUSES DIETARY ILLS
Homogenization, or Forced Filter
Process, Seen as Method to
Break Up Hard Fats.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.


Cracked milk may be the next re-
quircment for the nursery.
The possibility of the need OF such a
process is contained in the report OF
the subcommittee on the nutritional
aspects of milk of the White House
Conference on Child Health and Pro-
lection, headed by DR.. E. v. McCollum
of Johns Hopkins University, which has
just been issued through the Public
Health Service.
Not all cows milk, the report points
out, is equally easy for children to d.
sest, although there is no discernible
difference in the chemical composition.
An infant may thrive on milk from che
COW while digestive disturbances are
caused by the product OF another COW,
even from the same herd. A possible
explanation, it is pointed out, is the
difference in toughneSs and coarseness
of the curds OF milk from different
COWS, regardless of what they have been
fed. The curd is what Is left of the
milk after the whey has been extracted.
Curd TOughness Varies.
Experiments show, the report says
that not only is the curd from some
breeds of COWS tougher than that from
others, but that there are differences in
the product of individual cows of the
same breed and in the same herd. The
curd property is believed to be an in
heritable property of the COW.
Experience seems to have shown.
the report says, that an infant fed
soft curd milk may thrive, whereas 1t
may have digestive disturbances when
fed tough curd milk. Studies on curd
tension seem to have established a
unique value OF soft curd mtlks in in
FAINT feeding. This property also APP
plies to older children and to adults
whose digestive powers are not Wig
orous."
There Is reason to believe, the report
says. that the curd can be softened
greatly by putting the milk through the
process of homogenization. This con-
sists of forcing the milk through an eX-
tremely fine filter at very high pressure.
BY this means the fat globules in the
composition of the milk are cracked up
into finer globules.
Colostrum Wards OF Ills.
The committee stresses the need Of
further study of this curd property and
also of more information on the prop
critics of colostrum. the milk which
comes from a COW during the first three
or four days Of her milking period. 1t
Is a thicker, yellower substance than
what is sold as milk and is not milk"
in the strict definition of the chemist.
It's sale is forbidden in most States 1t
differs from milk chiefly in having GER
"a ra1iQ kT1OUr e0lQSt m
bodies.
But recent studies have shown. the
report points out, that the young of
certain species are susceptible TO vari-
Gus infectious diseases, when colostrum
Is not given them, whereas they are
relatively immune when fed from the
mother Immediately after birth. 1t has
not been shown that this applies to
human infants. and the nature Of the
immunity is unknown Contradictory
findings of investigators on the effects
OF this substance. the repor. says, make
further studies desirable.
Emphasizing their conclusion that
the consumption of milk Is still far too
lew in the United States. the committee
explains that it is an almost complete
food. especially for It's protein building
qualities and because 1t contains cal
cium in form which can be most
easily aSSlmllateQ. Inc absolute amount
of calcium daily retained by children,
it states. increases as the milk in the
diet is increased, up to approximately
a quart day.
Milk Lacks Iron.
The most striking deficiency OF milk
says the committee, is in iron. Infants
and young animals restricted to milk
for considerable period develop
anemia The proportion OF iron in the
body" the report states, IS higher at
birth than at any subsequent time.
AS the body grows in weight and size,
the proportion decreases II the food Is
deficient in IRON"
While the food value of milk is es-
tablished. the committee holds, there
is need of much further study Of the
chemistry OF milk and of the qualitie:
of its constituent substances, especially
the amino acids, and of metabolisn
studies of children TO determine the
proper proportions OF milk in the diet
There is much disagreement, the report
points out. between scientific workers
and physicians on the best dietary pro-
portions between milk and other foods
Among the points not fully understood
1t is pointed out. are calcium assimila-
ton, the effect of the ratio Of calcium
to phosphorus, and the adequacy Of
various vitamins in the diet.