An Improved Treatment of the Milk of Cows, or other Domesticated Animals, to Render it Suitable as Food for Infants and Children.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 19th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Treatment of the Milk of Cows, or other
Domesticated Animals, to Render it Suitable as Food for
Infants and Children.
I, ALEXANDER BACKHAUS, of Goettingen in the German Empire, Doctor of
Philosophy and Professor of Agriculture, do hereby declare the nature of said
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the preparation of milk so as to fit it more especially
for consumption by infants, and it consists in the following process.
The milk, as obtained from cows or other domesticated animals (in milking which
it is assumed that proper precautions have been taken to preserve it from
contamination) is, whilst it is as fresh as possible, separated into cream and skim-
milk which may be done by suitable centrifugal apparatus, the milk being at the
same time freed from impurities.
To the skim-milk thus obtained, from 0-2 to 0.5 grammes of an alkali (preferably
carbonate of soda) per litre of milk is added. By this addition the reaction of
the milk is rendered alkaline like human milk; moreover it is enabled to be
subjected to the combined action of a ferment capable of dissolving albumen, such
as trypsin, papayotin and the like, and of rennet, trypsin being employed with
preference. The latter or its equivalent is added in such a proportion that in
about half an hour the proportion of albumen becomes like that in human milk.
The solution of the albuminous substances should be brought about in the short
time above stated as otherwise the necessary temperature of incubation causes an
injurious development of bacteria in the milk. Simultaneously with the alkali
and trypsin rennet is added in such a proportion that any albuminous matters,
which may not have dissolved in the above stated time, shall be precipitated.
Then, by henting the fluid to from 70° to 80° the trypsin and rennet are both
rendered inoffensive, and after eliminating the non-dissolved albuminous matters,
the proportion of fat and cascine, as well as that of milk sugar, is made exactly
equal to what it is in human milk by adequate additions of cream and milk-
sugar.
The resulting remainder of cream may be utilized to advantage for the purpose
of preparing food for older children, by being mixed with skim-milk, water and
milk sugar.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: An Improved Treatment of the Milk of Cows, or other
Domesticated Animals, to Render it Suitable as Food for
Infants and Children.
I, ALEXANDER BACKHAUS, formerly of Goettingen, now of Landwithschaftliches,
Institut, Königsberg, in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, Doctor of
Philosophy and Profess r of Agriculture, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the treatment of the milk of cows and other
domesticated animals so as to fit it more especially for consumption by
infants.
It is well known that the percentage of fat and milk-sugar contained in the milk
of cows and other domesticated animals can be varied as desired but it has not
hitherto been possible to make the percentage of caseïne and soluble albumen
contained in such milk correspond with that present in human milk. I can however
eflect this latter object by my present invention which is based on the combined
action, under suitable conditions, of a ferment or agent capable of converting
caseine into soluble albumen, such as trypsin, and of a ferment or agent capable of
precipitating caseïne, such as rennet.
It is well known that the best coudition for allowing trypsin to transform caseïne
into soluble albumen is in the presence of an alkali, but alkalies are said to prevent
the action of rennet upon caseïne. Now I have found, that when trypsin and
rennet are added to milk which has been made feebly alkaline the action of the
rennet is not prevented but suspended only for some time, so that the trypsin exerts
its converting influence upon caseïne present, before the latter is acted upon by the
rennet which will afterwards precipitate the remainder of undissolved caseïne.
Thus a definite proportion of caseïne can be converted into soluble albumen and
the remainder separated from the milk by employing the said agents in proper
proportions.
Instead of trypsin, papayotin and the like agents can be used.
I can carry my invention into effect as follows:-
The milk, obtained from cows or other domesticated animals (in milking which it
is assumed that proper precautions have been taken to preserve the milk from
contamination), and whilst it is as fresh as possible, is separated into cream and
skim-milk which may be done by suitable centrifugal apparatus the milk being at
the same time freed from impurities.
The skim-milk is heated up to the temperature of incubation (about 40°
Centigrade) and brought up to the alkalinity of human milk by the addition of an
alkali. I prefer to add about 0-05 per cent. of carbonate of scda. The trypsin and
reunet may be added simultaneously with the alkali. The trypsin is added in such
a proportion that in about half an hour 0-75 per cent. of the casein present will be
converted into soluble albumen the percentage of albumen being about equal to
that contained in human milk. The proportion of trypsin to be added is determined
by experiment. This conversion of cascine into soluble albumen should be brought
about in the short time above stated as otherwise the necessary temperature of
incubation causes an injurious development of bacteria in the milk. The rennet,
which as aforesaid may be added simultaneously with the trypsin, is employed in
such proportion that it enters into action after the aforesaid time for the conversion
of cascine into soluble albumien so as to prevent further conversion by precipitating
the caseine which has not been so converted. The proportion of rennet required is

page_text: found in the following way: It is first ascertained what time is required for a
certain proportion of the rennet to coagulate a sample of the skim milk furnished
with the aforesaid proportion of alkali, and from the data thus obtained the
proportion of rennet necessary to produce coagulation, after half an hour, is
readily determined by calculation. By subsequently raising the temperature to
from 70° to 80° Centigrade the trypsin and rennet are both rendered inoffensive,
and after separation of the precipitate from the liquor, the proportion of fat and
milk sugar is made equal to what it is in human milk by adequate additions of
cream and milk-sugar, that is to say by adding about 1 per cent. of milk sugar and
so much cream as to increase the proportion of caseine about 0-5 per cent., the
proportions of fat, milk-sugar, caseine and soluble albumen being thus made the
same as they are in human milk.
The cream which has been separated may be utilized to advantage for the
purpose of preparing food for older children by being mixed with milk, water and
milk-sugar in suitable proportions. For instance mix I part of the cream with
1 part of skim milk and 1 part of water and to this mixture add 2 per cent. of
milk-sugar.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The treatment of the milk of cows or other domesticated animals consisting
in separating the said milk into cream and skim-milk, subjecting the skim-milk to
the combined action of a ferment capable of converting caseine into soluble
albumen, and a ferment capable of precipitating caseine, rendering the said ferments
inoffensive after due action, and adding cream and milk-sugar after separation of
the precipitated remainder of caseïne from the liquor, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
2. The treatment of the milk of cows or other domesticated animals consisting in
separating the said milk into cream and skim-milk, subjecting the skim-milk to the
combined action of a ferment capable of converting caseïne into soluble albumen,
and a ferment capable of precipitating cascine, rendering the said ferments
inoffensive after due action, and adding cream and milk-sugar after separation of
the precipitated remainder of caseïne from the liquor, and treating the separated
cream by mixing it with water, milk and milk-sugar for the purpose stated."
Dated this 20th day of April 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.