COMPOSITION OF COLOSTRUM FROM THE
                                       MONTGOMERY COWS

                                                    BY

                                         ASGHAR ALI SHAH,

         Chemical Laboratories, Agricultural Research Institute, Lyallpur

                       [Received for publication on 16th April 1936]

                                       (With one text-figure)

The milk produced by the cow during the first few days after calving is some-
times referred to as' beastings ' or' green milk ' but more commonly as colostrum.
The composition, condition, colour, taste and smell of the milk immediately after
parturition differs considerably from that of normal milk which the cow gives,
say, a week later. The change to normal takes place gradually and is complete
within 5 to 6 days, although some of the ingredients such as fat and milk sugar
change over very rapidly to their normal proportions. The pungent taste and
slimy appearance of the colostrum do not last for more than a couple of days.
The dairy herd attached to the Agricultural College, Lyallpur, consists of the cows
of the Montgomery breed alone and true colostrum as generally obtained from
these animals is usually yellow and very often deep yellow in colour.

Our knowledge about the true function of colostrum in the nutritional meta-
bolism of the new born animals is limited. It is generally supposed to act as a
laxative and facilitates the early passage of the meconium from the intestinal
tract of the infant animal. Another rôle sometimes attributed to this product
is its high concentration of nutritive elements in a form easily digested by the young
animals [Ling, 1930]. Earle and Gamble [1934] working on young foals have
discovered yet another function for this material. The results of their investi-
gation have shown that, in at least some species, colostrum serves to immunize
the new born animal passively against bacteria for which its dam has already
acquired immunity.

Until recently, the belief was commonly held that the milk is secreted pri-
marily for the nourishment of the calf and scientists and laymen alike believed
that full development of the mammary glands and the actual secretion of milk
could be brought about only by the normal processes occurring during pregnancy.
The fact that the nature of the milk immediately after calving was different from
that of the normal milk has been attributed to the immediate specific requirements
of the newly born animal. Recent work carried out by the Bureau of Dairy In-
dustry, U. S. A., as reported by Evans [1934], has, however, shown that pregnancy

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