TOP-MILK.

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 175, 19 April 1919, Page 5

TOP-MILK.

Wo promised to point out why it is better to \m tho term "top-milk" unci not "thin cream" wJipu speaking oi thu upper fourth of milK whit'ii lifin beun sot lor the preparation of luunuui&ud milk, . Mothers fjomcthncß worry Ijccuubu what they expect to bo cream appears too thin ana more like milk. 11 is quite true that tho lower stratum of the lOoz. to be removed from the quart of milk usually get Ho make 3uoz. of numaniscd milk) is not only not cream, but is, indeed, not even milK. The lowest layer of tlie 10oz. is merely "skim milk," but tho layer on the very surface is thick crcam, twice <is ijtroni? as we want and the layers between the lop and bottom are of intermediate strength, which diminishes 6tca<tily wo descend from 20 per cent, to 2. per cunt. Imagine the "top-milk" to be composed of 10 layers of an ounce eac.i-the top layers very rich in fat -and Ine bottom layers very poor (mere /kim milk, in fact) —then the blending of all these layers will give a "top-milk" of the ruiiuirud'-strungth -not what would ordinarily be called ."cream," "out 4i "top-milk'" about three times as /ich in fat as the milK L ..in which it is derived. , It may bo asked: "Why not use the term *12 per cent, cream' instead of topmilk'?" ad being more deilnile and precise. The objection is that tlie percentage of fat in tiie cream will commonly vary bctwen 9 and 12 per cent., according to tho quality of the milk, and to other factors, such as the time expiring between milking aud Betting for mum, uio rapidiiy and degree of cooling which can be brought about, etc. Tho ricner the milk the sooner it is set aftor milking, and tho greater the chilling that can be Phected (short of freezing:; tho richer will be "top-milk." Any "top-milk" which contains between 9 and 12 per cent, fat will yield a humanised milk with between o and 4,-per cent, of fat in it, which is a 8 close (is wo need go for an .ordinary practical Btandard. The range of variation of "fat-content" in human milk is as much as or more than this. When preparing humauised milk some mothers, after taking what appears to be all the cream from the quart set, add some more cream from the household milk, because they wish to do the best possible for their babies. They do not pause to consider that, by departing from the instructions in this way, they are giving/their babies too large a proportion of fat/ and so tending to upset thorn, besides altering the proper relative proportions of sugar, fat, and proteid which arc essential for the best. nutrition of their infants. Ab cases like the 'above liave been brought to our notice on several ocasions, the term ''thin cream" has been cut of the recipes in the latest _ editions of our book. Tho term "top-milk" only is now used. .

Humanised Milk. It may not be out of place here to Btate that the redpoa advocated for the preparation of humanised milk have been arrived at after most careful study and calculation, and have been frequently tested, by analysis. They liavo now been used practically unaltered for nearly 14 years, and personally I have never had to do with a baby which failn'-l to thrive, ■when. properly graded humanised mills wafl used and the other essentials for healthy living were practised.

; Natural Feeding. Headers must not imagine for a moment that' the .society ndvocateß the nso of humanised milk or any other artificial food. What it does advocate, and wishes to see •practised in every case where vossible, is natural feeding by a. healthy mother who attonds to the maintenance of her own health, and vno her baby ail the .other essentials for liealth in addition to the inestimable gift of Its proper food. Warning.

Let- mo hero warn mothers vl'o are f-'cl, ing their babies naturally that 1 Ireastfeeding alone is not sufficient to i-.iifure guod health. Fresh air, cxoi'cho, i eirn.larity of all habits, including tiuici for ; nursing baby, are la n::|o - ti!t for you: infants as for t'oso win arc bottle fid. Always feed baby at the pioper time, whether asleep or mvaiie. if necessary, wako him. Some bab' % s, tdAe their lu p.m.. feoding while pracucally inileep.

It iB only when foi uuy rwison a liny cannot liavo its '.lirihuciit rat ive say. with' all the intensity of wlum w* use capable, that lie ought to-have the nearest approach to his ;-.'ural fn"d whiih it. i possible for us ,o preDitri. K\til if the preparat.'on were .iiifltult it '.r surely ilie itast jve can do to mnke lii «« far as may be, for our .ailuro to pr.iv-e prnptr nourishment, However, Hu prei'.aring uf humanised milk is :ea"iy i/uite ea,iy. Il lakes less time -j> .prepare a UC-lmi.' si.pply than it takes to. ini.'hc the cake or puddinc for the Household wMi.li nowadays seems to be so nccesary nil article of daily' diet.