make the food weak at first because the
infant's stomach is intended to digest breast milk, not cow's
milk; but if we begin with a very weak cow's milk the stomach can
be gradually trained to digest it. If we began with a strong milk
the digestion might be seriously upset.

Usually we begin with number one on the second day; number two on the
fourth day; number three at seven to ten days; but after that make the
increase more slowly. A large infant with a strong digestion will bear
a rather rapid increase and may be able to take number five by the
time it is three or four weeks old. A child with a feeble digestion
must go much slower and may not reach number five before it is three
or four months old.

It is important with all children that the increase in the food
be made very gradually. It may be best with many infants to
increase the milk by only half an ounce in twenty ounces of food,
instead of one ounce at a time, as indicated in the tables. Thus,
from three ounces the increase would be to three and one-half
ounces; from four ounces to four and one-half ounces, etc. At
least two or three days should be allowed between each increase
in the strength of the food.

PEPTONIZED MILK

Another modification which at times may be ordered by your physician
is peptonized milk. Since it is infrequent for the proteins of milk to
be the cause of indigestion, peptonized milk has only a limited use,
chiefly in cases of acute illness. The milk is peptonized in the
following manner:

Place the peptonizing powder (it is procurable in tubes or tablets
from the drug store) in a small amount of milk, and after being well
dissolved, put into the bottle or pitcher with the plain or modified
milk, after which the whole is shaken up together. The bottle is then
put into a large pitcher containing water heated to about 110 deg. F. or
as warm as would bear the hand comfortably, and left for ten or twenty
minutes (if the milk is to be partially peptonized). To completely
peptonize the milk, two hours are required. Either of these formulas
is only used on the advice of a physician.

BUTTERMILK

In many cases of chronic intestinal indigestion, buttermilk is used in
place of the milk. It is prepared as follows: After the cream has been
taken from the milk and it has been allowed to come to a boil, it is
cooled to just blood heat. A buttermilk tablet, having first been
di