172 SHEEP DISEASES: 



repair of tissues destroyed or damaged by disease and injury ; 

 and any deficiency therein must be compensated — the compensa- 

 tion taking place at the expense of the tissues. The colloids 

 are rapidly disintegrated or used up in all important diseases, 

 especially fevers, hence the rapid emaciation (wasting) which is 

 associated with and follows disease, and hence the value of 

 giving albumen and fibrin in a readily assimilable form — as eggs 

 and milk — in the treatment of fever. 



Excessive using up of the proteid elements means not only 

 emaciation, it means arrested growth, general debility, dropsy 

 and often permanent impairment of the general health ; 

 degraded proteids being passed out of the system as useless 

 material by the kidneys and not again made use of 



Great excess in these matters tends to the production of 

 congestions and inflammations — produces, in fact, the so-called 

 inflammatory diathesis, or a tendency to inflammation. 



The heat and force producing elements, though existing only 

 in very small proportion in normal blood, are vitally as necessary 

 to the well-being of the system as are the proteids. If they are 

 deficient and cannot be obtained from the food they must be 

 got from the tissues — especially the fat — and if they cannot be 

 obtained at all heat production ceases and life is extinguished. 



Fat is the first to become absorbed and burnt up in wasting 

 diseases, but it is followed, or perhaps sometimes preceded, by 

 the consumption of the proteids. 



Excess of carbonaceous elements in the form of fat, produces 

 debility and interferes with the vital activity of the cells of the 

 body, as well as predisposes to stagnation. Moreover, if this 

 excess is kept up, the cells of the tissues of important organs 

 become firstly, infiltrated with fat ; secondly, actually trans- 

 formed into fat. Independently of carbonaceous matters being 

 required for respiration and production of heat fat constitutes 

 the basis of muscle, and no animal can thrive or even live 

 if deprived thereof Such elements frequently save the more 

 important proteids from oxidation or burning. 



Of the salts of the blood it cannot be said that one is more 

 important than another. Chloride of sodium (common salt) 

 is probably the most necessary for the preservation of health, 

 and its withdrawal, or its absence from the blood is followed 

 by the gravest consequences. Salt (sodium) is required not 

 only for the blood, it is necessary to the formation of the 

 gastric juice and of the bile and for the digestion of albumen ; 

 and of the fact of its presence in the blood I cannot _ give a 

 better proof than that which may be obtained by tasting the 

 perspiration or the tears. Nature cries out for it, as is shown 

 in the wandering of the denizens of the wilderness in search of 

 it, and it is provided for them in the form of " salt licks." 



