Dairy Management. 195 



That the nutritive effects of materials for food depend much 

 on their proximate elements I need only adduce the composition 

 of the grain and straw of wheat, which are very similar in their 

 proportion of ultimate elements, whilst the predominating 

 proximate principle of the grain is starch (73 per cent.), that of 

 straw woody fibre, of which it contains 61 per cent, with only 

 36 of starch. That oleine is more easy of consumption (more 

 available for respiration), I refer to Lehmann, vol. i., p. 121, 

 where he states that the fat of animals being found to contain a 

 greater proportion in comparison with the fat of plants, may 

 probably be attributable to the oleine being more easy of 

 consumption. 



My attention was drawn to some experiments of Dr. Leared, 

 published in the ' Medical Times,' from which it appeared that 

 the oleine of cod liver oil agreed better with several of his patients 

 than the oil in its natural state, from which he drew the inference 

 that the effect of margarine was excrementitious ; this can only 

 apply to patients whose organs are weakened. My observations 

 on feeding tend to the conclusion that if you afford animals an 

 adequate supply of sugar, starch, and olein fats for their res- 

 piratory and other functions, the margarine of the food will be 

 converted into and stored up in animal fat to the extent which 

 the system is capable of absorbing. I am, however, clearly of 

 opinion that on a deficiency of food or incapacity of the organs 

 from disease or other causes to supply the wants of respiration, 

 the stores of solid or margarine fat are laid hold of and consumed. 

 In the spring of 1853 I sold some fatted cattle to Mr. Freeman, 

 of Odey, with whom I had frequently dealt; he reported that 

 they did not contain the quantity of loose fat which he had been 

 led to expect from their touch and his experience of my feeding. 

 Having told him that they had recently suffered from soreness of 

 mouth, by which with evident symptoms of appetite they were 

 hindered from eating the necessary quantity, Mr. Freeman 

 remarked that he well knew from experience that cattle which 

 had recently suffered from this (known here as the mouth and 

 foot sore complaint), were deficient in loose fat. I may also here 

 state, as a matter of some physiological interest, that cattle which 

 have been partially damaged in the lung from previous attack of 

 pleuro or other causes are invariably found deficient in their store 

 of loose fat. 



It will be observed that cod liver oil contains in the same 

 space the greatest proportion of elements which, in combination 

 with the oxygen of the air, are necessary for the support of 

 vitality, and with this by far the greatest proportion of olein in 

 comparison with other oils in their natural state ; and it seems 



