The following analysis of Mellin's food is one made by Professor Fresenius, of Wiesbaden, Germany:
| Non-nitrogenous substances soluble in water | 69.38% |
| Non-nitrogenous substances insoluble in water | 3.18% |
| ——— | |
| Total carbohydrates | 72.56% |
| Nitrogenous substances soluble in water | 4.69% |
| Nitrogenous substances insoluble in water | 5.06% |
| ——— | |
| Total albuminoids | 9.75% |
| Total salts, mostly phosphoric acid, carbonic acid, and potassa | 4.37% |
| ——— | |
| Total moisture | 13.32% |
| Cane sugar, none. Reaction, alkaline. |
Comparative analysis of Mellin's food, prepared for use, with that of woman's milk and cow's milk.
| Constituents. | Mellin's Food. | Woman's Milk. | Cow's Milk. |
| Fat | 2.36% | 4.00% | 3.30% |
| Albuminoids | 2.83% | 2.50% | 3.50% |
| Carbohydrates | 6.81% | 6.50% | 5.00% |
| Salts and inorganic matter | .74% | .50% | .70% |
| Water | 87.26% | 86.50% | 87.50% |
| Cellulose | A trace. | — | — |
| Cane-sugar | None. | — | — |
| Starch | None. | — | — |
| Dr. A. Stutzer, Bonn, Germany. | |||
This analysis shows that Mellin's food bears comparison with milk. It is easily digested, and as an attenuant for milk may be used without harm during the early months of life, but it should not be used to the exclusion of milk for more than a few days at a time, and then only when milk is not retained by the stomach.
Later it is doubtless a valuable addition to the regular daily food of the child.
Malted milk is made from selected grain and desiccated or dried milk. To prepare it for the infant it needs only the addition of water. It is probably one of the best substitutes for milk, but should not be used for any length of time when it is possible to get good milk.
The starch of grains may be converted into dextrine and glucose by the action of heat as well as by the action of diastase, so that when flour is subjected to a certain temperature, and for a certain time, this change is produced.
Nestlé's food, Imperial Granum, Ridge's food, and some others are made very carefully from selected wheat by this process. Nestlé's food contains dried milk.