Comparing cow’s milk with mother’s milk, it will be seen that the latter contains less protein, about the same percentage of fat and more carbohydrates than the former. A comparison may be made from the following table of average composition in round figures:
Water | Total solids | Protein | Fat | Milk- sugar | Mineral matters | Fuel value per lb. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per cent | Per cent | Per cent | Per cent | Per cent | Per cent | Calories | |
| Mother’s Milk | 87 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 6.5 | 0.5 | 316 |
| Cow’s Milk | 87 | 13 | 3.25 | 4 | 5 | 0.75 | 312 |
Modifying Milk.—Undiluted cow’s milk is too rich in protein and in salts for infants and, when fed without modification, must be diluted with an equal amount of water during the first two or three months. Such dilution, however, also reduces the percentage of fat, which should remain the same, and of carbohydrates, which should be increased. In order to modify or “humanize” cow’s milk so as to make its composition nearly the same as that of mother’s milk, simple dilution with water is therefore not sufficient.
There are, however, various other methods which may be used to advantage. For instance, top-milk from a bottle of fresh milk which has stood 4 or 6 hours in ice water will contain 6 to 8% of fat. By diluting this with an equal part of water, the percentage of protein, fat and mineral matter will be about right, and sugar, either cane-sugar or milk-sugar, may be added to supply the carbohydrates. Or carefully prepared sweet whey containing milk-sugar, or barley water, may be added to the thin cream in place of some of the pure water.
The following recipes have been used with good results:
Mrs. Pospyhala’s Recipe
Infant Food.—Warm 1½ quarts of milk to blood heat. Remove from fire and add one Junket Tablet dissolved in a spoonful of cold water. Let the milk set until it forms a solid mass, then stir it up in order to break the curd. Place it back on the fire and stir until quite smooth, not allowing it to get any warmer than blood heat. It is then ready to strain through two thicknesses of cheese-cloth and care must be taken to squeeze well so as to obtain as much of the whey as possible, which is very important. Add one tablespoonful of sugar to sweeten. Pour into nursing bottles, the amount being according to the age of the baby. A sufficient number of bottles are prepared for 24 hours’ feeding. Care should be taken to keep the milk in a cool place as it will sour the same as fresh milk. Every time the baby is fed the milk must be warmed by placing the bottle in a pan of water and heating to the right temperature.
Mrs. Rorer’s Recipe
Where cow’s milk, even when diluted, or partly modified as in the home fashion, disagrees with the infant, this mixture may be used with good results: heat two quarts of milk to 100° F. Add two Junket Tablets dissolved in a tablespoonful of cold water. When the milk is congealed and perfectly solid draw through it backward and forward an ordinary four-tined silver fork; this will separate the curd. Strain through two thicknesses of cheese-cloth, saving the whey as this is the part you are to use; add a pint of water, a half ounce of sugar of milk, three ounces of cream and four ounces of the white of egg. The whites may be dropped into a quart fruit jar, a pint of the whey added, the top screwed on and the jar thoroughly shaken until the whites are well mixed with the whey; then add them to the remaining quantity and stand at once in a very cold place. This will be given in quantities from two to three ounces in an ordinary nursing bottle.