194 Dairy Management. 



exhale also an increased quantity, though less in proportion, of 

 carbonic acid. From the diminished proportion of the carbonic 

 acid to the volume of air in the increased respirations, it is 

 clear that the system could not afford an adequate supply of 

 carbon. 



When in London I sought an interview with Dr. Theophilus 

 Thompson, F.R.S., with the object of learning his views on the 

 efficacy of oil as medicine, of wliich he has had great experience, 

 and which, I am informed, he first introduced into the London 

 hospitals. In the course of conversation he drew my attention to 

 several cases, in which his patients had gained more by the use of 

 cod liver oil than the weight of the oil supplied. I ventured to 

 suggest that this might possibly be attributed to the food being 

 deficient in elements which are found concentrated in oil ; in 

 support of which I explained that in my treatment of dairy cows 

 I have completely satisfied myself that by adding to ordinary 

 food beans or other materials peculiarly rich in albumen but com- 

 paratively deficient in oil, I enrich the milk not only in curd but 

 also in butter, to a far greater extent than is contained in the oil 

 of such additional food. 



Lehmann (Leipsic), second edition, page 271, states : " On 

 theoretic grounds I have long been satisfied that fats belong to 

 the most active agents in the metamorphosis of animal materials 

 (of digestion), and that by numerous experiments and observa- 

 tions I have completely assured myself of this (tJiat loliat had 

 heen matter of subjective^ had by expej-iment become matter of 

 objective certainty) .^^ 



These experiments he explains, and cites others by Elsiisser, 

 which show that the digestion is materially assisted by an admix- 

 ture of fat. I learnt from Dr. Thompson that cod liver oil is 

 composed almost wholly of carbon and hydrogen, with a smaller 

 per-centage of oxygen than other fats. I did not ascertain from 

 him, nor do I find in his lecture to the Medical Society, a copy 

 of which he kindly presented to me, the relative proportion of 

 oleine and margarine fats. In Royle's ' Materia Medica ' there 

 is a proximate analysis of this oil by Dr. de Jongh, which 

 gives — 



Of oleic acid .. 74" 



Margaric acid II* 75 



Glyceriuc 10-17 



Butyric and acetic acid .. .. '11 

 Other substances 3"97 



100- 



This analysis shows a far greater per-centage of oleine com- 

 pared Avith margarine than any other fat I have seen noticed. 



