[Footnote: Read before the American Chemical Society, June 3,1881.]
By CHAS. A. DOREMUS, M.D., Ph.D.
Noticing the recent advertisements in the city regarding the "Baby
Elephant," it occurred to me that perhaps no analysis of the milk
of this species of the mammalia had been recorded. This I found
corroborated, for though the milk of many animals had been subjected to
analysis, no opportunity had ever presented itself to obtain elephants'
milk.
Through the courtesy of Jas. A. Bailey I was enabled to procure samples
of the milk on several occasions.
On March 10, 1880, the elephant Hebe gave birth to the female calf
America. Hebe is now twenty eight years old, and the father of the calf,
Mandrie, thirty-two. Since the birth of the "Baby," the mother has been
in excellent health, except during about ten days, when she suffered
from a slight indisposition, which soon left her.
When born the calf weighed 213½ lbs., and in April, 1881, weighed 900
lbs. A very fair year's growth on a milk diet. At the time I procured
the samples both mother and calf were in fine health.
To obtain the milk was a matter of some difficulty. The calf was
constantly sucking, nursing two or three times an hour, morning, noon,
and night. The milk could be drawn from either of the two teats, but
only in small quantity. The mother gave the fluid freely enough,
apparently, to her infant, but sparingly to inquisitive man, so the ruse
had to be resorted to of milking one teat while the calf was at the
other.
When I first examined the specimens they seemed watery, but to my
surprise, on allowing the milk to stand, I could not help wondering at
the large percentage of cream.
The following represents approximately the daily diet of the mother:
Three pecks of oats, one bucket bran mash, five or six loaves of bread,
half a bushel of roots (potatoes, etc.), fifty to seventy-five pounds of
hay, and forty gallons of water.
Elephants eat continually, little at a time, to be sure, but are
constantly picking. This habit is also observable in the way the calf
nurses. The first specimen of milk was procured on the morning of April
5, the second on the 9th, and the third on the 10th.
The last exceeded the others in quantity, and is therefore the fairest
of the three. It took several milkings to get even these, for the calf
would begin to nurse, then stop, and when she stopped the flow of milk
did also.
I was assured by Mr. Cross and the keeper, Mr. Copeland, that the milk
I obtained had all the appearances of that drawn at various times since
the birth of the calf. Mr. Cross, when in Boston, compared the milk with
that from an Alderney cow, and found the volume of cream greater.
I endeavored to have the calf kept away from the mother for some hours,
but could not, since she is allowed her freedom, as she worries under
restraint, and besides, has never been taken from the mother. The calf
picked at oats and hay, but was dependent on the mother for nourishment.
It would have been a matter of great satisfaction to me had I been able
to obtain a larger quantity of the milk, or to have gained even an
approximate knowledge of the daily yield, but was obliged to content
myself with what I could get. By comparing several samples, however, a
just conclusion regarding the quality was found. The analyses of the
samples gave the following results:
No. I. II. III.
April 5, April 9, April 10,
Morning. Noon. Morning.
Quantity, 19 cc. 36 cc. 72 cc.
Cream, 52-4, vol.% 58 62
Reaction, Neutral. Slightly alkaline. Slightly acid.
Sp.gr., ---- ---- 1023.7
In 100 parts by weight.
Water............67.567 69.286 66.697
Solids...........32.433 30.714 33.303
Fat..............17.546 19.095 22.070
Solids not fat...14.887 11.619 11.233
Casein...........14.236 3.694 3.212
Sugar............14.236 7.267 7.392
Ash.............. 0.651 0.658 0.629
Ten grammes were taken for analysis, and in No. III. duplicates were
made.
It is evident from these analyses that the milk approaches the
composition of cream, yet it did not have the consistency of ordinary
cream--as cream even rose upon it. Under the microscope the globules
presented a very perfect outline, and were beautifully even in size and
very transparent.
The cream rose quickly, leaving a layer of bluish tinge below. The milk
was pleasant in flavor and odor, and very superior in these respects to
that of many animals such as goats or camels, and in quality equal to
that of cows. Nor did the milk emit any rank odor on heating.
When ten grammes were evaporated to dryness, the last portions of water
were hard to remove, as the residue fairly floated with oil. Only by
long-continued application of heat, and in analysis III. over sulphuric
acid in vacuo, could a constant weight be obtained.
I would have used sand in the drying, or Baumhauer's method of fat
extraction, but for the small quantity of milk at my disposal and from
fear of loss of fat in the latter case.
The fat in III. was determined by extracting the dried residue and also
with 20 c. c. of milk by adding alkali and shaking with ether, removing
and evaporating the ether and weighing the fat.
As is shown in the table the sp. gr. is very low, though the solids and
solids not fat are great. The ash, casein, and sugar are in about the
usual proportion. The weight of casein, it is true, is but half that of
the sugar. The milk indeed shows an unusually great preponderance of the
non-nitrogenized elements, and this seems to correspond with the wants
of the animal, since fatty tissues are greatly developed in elephants.
According to Mr. Cross, who has had large experience with these animals,
they are fatter in the wild state than in bondage. These specimens must
appear as exceptional; they may be considered by some as "strippings;"
but as against such a view we have the recurrence in each sample of
the same characteristics in the milk and a near correspondence in the
composition. As may be seen from the subjoined analyses, given by v.
Gorup Besanez,[1] the milk belongs to the class of which woman's and
mare's milk are members, especially as regards the proportion of the
non-nitrogenized to the nitrogenized elements.
[Footnote 1: "Lehrhuch der Physiologischen Chemie," pp. 423 and 424.]
Constituents. Woman. Cow. Goat. Ewe. Ass. Mare.
Water. 86.271 84.28 86.85 83.30 89.01 90.45
Solids. 13.729 15.72 13.52 16.60 10.99 9.55
Fat. 5.370 5.47 4.34 6.05 1.85 1.31
Casein. \ 3.57 2.53 \ \ \
2.950 5.73 3.57 2.53
Albumen. / 0.78 1.26 / / /
Milk Sugar. 5.136 4.34 3.78 3.96 \ 5.42
5.05
Ash. 0.223 0.63 0.65 0.68 / 0.29
Constituents. Buffalo. Camel. Sow. Hippo- Elephant.
potamus.
Water. 80.640 86.34 81.80 90.43 66.697
Solids. 19.360 13.66 18.20 9.57 33.308
Fat. 8.450 2.90 6.00 4.51 22.070
Casein. \ \ \ 4.40 \
4.247 3.67 5.30 3.212
Albumen. / / / /
Milk Sugar. 4.518 5.78 6.07 [1] 7.392
Ash. 0.845 0.66 0.83 0.11 0.629
[Footnote 1: Milk Sugar included.]
It may be remarked that though approaching the composition of cream it
still differs enough to require it to be considered milk.
Perhaps if a larger quantity of the milk could be collected, it would
have a more watery character, and approximate more nearly to other milks
in that respect. However this may be the quality of the fat deserves
some attention.
The fat has a light yellow color, resembling olive oil, is very pleasant
in odor and taste, is liquid at common temperatures, but solidifies at
18° C. or 64° F.
The cow must yield a considerable quantity of milk, since the growth of
the calf has been constant, and at the time these samples were milked
the mother gave as freely to her babe as she ever had since its birth.
The calf having gained seven to eight hundred pounds on a milk diet in
one year, it is presumable that it had no lack of nourishment.
In size the "Baby" compared equally with other elephants in the same
menagerie, who were known to be four and five years old.
From whatever standpoint, therefore, we view the lacteal product of
these four-footed giants, we are fully warranted in ascribing to it not
only extreme richness, but also great delicacy of flavor.
* * * * *