RESEARCHES ON RUMINATION, OR CHEWING THE CUD. 



cud-duct, which seize and detach from it a portion about an inch in 

 diameter. The space, also, which these several adjacent inlets enclose, 

 being round, and its walls in motion, the pellet is thereby rounded, and 

 at length pushed up into the gullet, and returned to the mouth. 



It is very remarkable, that, during the formation of the pellet, a very 

 copious flow of spittle takes place from the mouth down the gullet, 

 without which the pellet, which is rather dry at first, could not easily 

 be brought up. The second stomach also, has, by its contraction, the 

 opposite open cells brought into contact, so as to form a series of shut 

 cells ; an admirable provision for preventing the fluids, always more or 

 less present here, from being brought up along with the pellet. 



The pellet, when returned to the mouth is minutely chewed and 

 reduced to a half fluid pulp, which, on being swallowed, is not solid 

 enough to force open the always shut inlet of the paunch, and conse- 

 quently enters the always open inlet of the cud-duct, and passes to the 

 third stomach, from which it is forwarded to the fourth. The account 

 of this process by Blumenbach, adopted by our British physiologists, is 

 grossly erroneous. 



In consequence of this complicated process, animals which chew the 

 cud can digest more effectually than those which do not, such as the 

 horse, it being common for the latter to pass corn quite undigested, a 

 circumstance that rarely happens with horned cattle ; and hence it is 

 well known to graziers, that one third less will be enough for an ox than 

 for a horse or an ass. According, however, to the recent experiments of 

 De Dombaslea and Biot, this will depend, in the case, at least, of roots, 

 such as carrots or potatoes, upon boiling, so as to break the globular 

 crust enveloping the nutrient matter, which the stomach cannot well 

 effect. This matter, formerly termed Amidine, from its occurring in 

 starch, has been termed by M. Biot, Dextrine, from its polarising the 

 rays of light towards the right, a singular property, by which the 

 nutritive qualities of vegetables may be, M. Biot thinks, determined by 

 optical experiments. If this be proved by farther research, it will 

 furnish a triumphant answer to those who are disposed to ridicule 

 minute and recondite inquiries, because they appear to be of no use. 

 When the polarity of light was discovered, it certainly could never have 

 been anticipated that it might become a test for the nutritive qualities 

 of food. 



Lee, Kent, May 22nd. 



