Extracted from the 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF 
PHILADELPHIA, 
THIRD SERIES, VOLUME VI. A NOTE ON TIIE FECES OF ST ARCH-FED INFANTS. 
Br / 
N. A. RANDOLPH, M.D. 
ASSISTANT DEMONSTRATOR OF PHYSIOLOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY 
OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
[Read June C, 1883.] 
The scries of experiments presented in the preced- 
ing paper by Dr. Keating seems to me to be in the 
highest degree suggestive, for it is byily rational to 
suppose that the development of the hmylolytic fer- 
ment of the pancreatic juice is coincident with the 
appearance of the analogous salivary ferment.1 Inas- 
much, however, as the food even in spoon-fed infants 
is retained but a short time in the mouth, and further, 
as the continued action of the saliva after it enters 
the stomach is as yet problematical, the only absolute 
control for such observations is afforded by an exami- 
nation of the feces. 
Through the kindness of Dr. Iveating I have been 
enabled to examine the stools of twenty-four starch- 
fed infants, of ages varying from forty-five days to 
eighteen months. Twenty-three of these children 
were fed upon cracker-dust, water, and condensed 
1 [The observations in question demonstrated the functional activity of the 
saliva of very young infants.] ,, , ---- 444 
RANDOLPH, 
milk. The twenty-fourth received corn-starch boiled 
in milk. 
The freshly evacuated feces of each infant were 
carefully bottled and labelled, and a drop of a solution 
of iodine was added to a small portion of each speci- 
men, which was then submitted to microscopical 
examination. Besides turning the starch blue, and 
indicating the presence of dextrine by a peculiar ma- 
hogany-red color, the iodine has the advantage of 
rendering any fats which may be present much more 
readily apparent. The reaction of each specimen was 
taken, but though this varied from acid to alkaline 
and neutral, no correlation between the reactions and 
the other properties of the specimens could be ob- 
served. A decoction of each was tested for glucose 
with freshly prepared Fehling’s solution, but except in 
one instance no appreciable amount could be found. 
The presence of starch was exceptional, and appa- 
rently in no degree dependent upon the age of the 
child. The stools of eighteen out of the twenty-four 
children contained either no starch, or but a trace, 
i. e., no more than is frequent in the evacuations of a 
healthy adult upon a mixed diet. Six of these speci- 
mens were from children of three months or less,— 
the youngest being but forty-five days old. In many 
cases the broken and empty cellulose envelopes of the 
starch granules were clearly discernible. 
The six infants in whose evacuations a noteworthy 
amount of starch was present were aged respectively 
three, four, ten, thirteen, fourteen, and seventeen 
months. The eldest two were in very bad health. 
The following is a tabular statement of the age, 
diet, and appearances of the feces in the children 
forming the subjects of this study. FECES OF STARCII-FED INFANTS. 
445 
AN EXAMINATION OF THE FECES OF TWENTY-FOUR STARCH FED 
INFANTS. 
No. 
Name. 
Age. 
Food. 
Starch present. 
Remarks. 
1 
Savin, 
45 days 
Condensed milk 
and cracker dust. 
None. 
2 
Joeker, 
2 mos. 
u 
Traces. 
3 
McGettinger 
2+ “ 
a 
U 
4 
McGowan, 
3 “ 
Twice examined: no 
fat before in unction, 
about 10 per cent, 
after. 
5 
Ross, 
3 “ 
u 
u 
6 
Havs, 
3 “ 
u 
About i starch 
7 
Soy, 
3 “ 
u 
Traces 
8 
Henwich, 
4 “ 
Corn-starch and 
milk. 
U 
9 
Moore, 
4 “ 
Condensed milk 
and cracker dust. 
None 
Many broken cellu- 
lose envelopes. 
10 
Conway, 
4+“ 
it 
Traces 
Evidences of potato 
surreptitiously given 
11 
Roach, 
5 “ 
About J starch 
12 
Anxier, 
5+ “ 
U 
None. 
13 
Schmitz, 
McKinley, 
5+“ 
U 
U 
Many bacteria. 
14 
6+“ 
u 
u 
10 per cent, fat; had 
had inunctions. 
15 
Hall, 
GO 
+ 
Breast and 
cracker food. 
Traces 
16 
Hensen, 
10+“ 
Condensed milk 
and cracker dust. 
More than 
normal 
Many bacteria; evi- 
dences of potato sur- 
reptitiously given. 
17 
Devine, 
13—“ 
20 to 30 per ct. 
Some glucose present 
and indications of 
dextrine; saliva was 
found to be ineffi- 
cient. 
18 
Croncia, 
14—“ 
U 
Traces. 
19 
Madden, 
14 “ 
U 
20 
Boyle, 
14 “ 
a 
10 p. ct. starch 
Sick. 
21 
Glass, 
14+“ 
u 
None 
Except a few large 
cells containing 
starch from potato. 
22 
Kinscher, 
17—“ 
u 
U 
23 
Wood, 
17—“ 
u 
Over | starch 
Syphilitic; saliva was 
found to be ineffi- 
cient. 
24 
Dane, 
18 “ 
Traces 
Indications of dex- 
trine. 
The facts presented appear to justify the following 
conclusions:— 
First, that many infants of under three months can 
digest starch foods; 
Second, that the individual variations in this regard 446 
RANDOLPH, FECES OF STARCII-FED INFANTS. 
are so numerous that no broad and general statement 
can be made as to the period at which infants begin 
to digest starches; and 
Third, that the physician can be absolutely certain 
that a farinaceous ingredient in the diet of a young 
infant is beneficial only by an examination of the de- 
jecta under such diet.