128 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



All these bodies are quite unstable and undergo many changes in 

 the living animal. 



Fats. The fats are, next to the albuminoids, the most important sub- 

 stances found in the animal bod}'. Most of the fats are compounds 

 of glycerine, with the fatty acids of which stearic, palmitic, oleic 

 and butyric are the most common. Fat is quite universall}' found 

 in the tissues of an animal, and providing the food supplied be of 

 good quality and sufficient in quantity, it will accumulate in masses 

 in some parts of the bod}', and gives the rounded outlines which be- 

 speak a good and health}' condition of the individual. In animals 

 which have been starved to death, small quantities have still been 

 found at the base of the heart, and in the orbits of the eyes. 



The fat of the different animals, or the fat obtained from different 

 parts of tlie same individual has the same composition as is shown 

 in the following table : 



Fat of Sheep. Ox. Pig. 



Carbon 7G.61 per ct. 76.5 per ct. 70.51 per ct. 



Hydrogen... , 12.03 " 11.91 " 11.91 " 



Oxygen 11.36 •' 11.59 " 11.52 " 



It will be observed that fats contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen 

 only. 



Carbohydrates. These are found in comparatively small quanti- 

 ties in the animal body, and need not be specially described. 



Mineral or inorganic substayices. These are found in the body in 

 varying proportions ; generally the organic substances are in far 

 gi'eater proportion than are the mineral compounds ; the bones form 

 a notable exception, for here we have a very great percentage of 

 mineral substances, about 68 per cent, of the bones being of inor- 

 ganic origin. Phosphate and carbonate of lime form the greater 

 part of the inorganic portion of bone. The metallic salts found in 

 the animal body are mostly combinations of potash, soda, lime, mag- 

 nesia and iron, with chlorine and phosphoric and sulphuric acids. 



By looking over the composition of the living animal it becomes 

 apparent that, in proper feeding he must be furnished with a proper 

 quantity of water, albuminoids, fat, or fat forming substances, car- 

 bohydrates, which, though they do not occur to any extent in the 

 body are still very useful in fodder, and lastly mineral compounds. 

 All these bodies must of course be in an assimilable condition. 



