mixed with the Food of Animals. 25 



On the 9th of October 1804, my experiments on cows 

 commenced. On that day two Welch hciters, one of 

 which had calved about five months, the other three, were 

 confined to the house, and fed with hay for the space of 

 one fortnight. The hav they consumed during that time 

 was four hundred weight nmeteen pounds, and the niiik 

 thev produced was thirty-six gallons three quarts. 'Ihey 

 had then, for the next fortnight, salt mixed with their hay, 

 the hav being first slightly moistened with wafer, and the 

 salt sprinkled over it ; in which time they consumed four 

 hundred weight forty-two pounds of hay, and seven pounds 

 of salt. The milk produced was thirty-seven gallons. For 

 the next fortnight, namely, from the sixth to the twentieth 

 of November, the salt was omitted, and their food was four 

 hundred weight and one quarter of hay, and two hundred 

 weiglit and a half of cabbages. The produce of milk in 

 that space of time was fifty-iour gallons three quarts. From 

 the twentieth of November their 'ood was the same as be- 

 fore, with the addition of half a pound of salt per day. The 

 produce of milk was fifty-seven gallons one quart. 



It will be recollected, that salt seemed to have no ten- 

 dency to promote thirst or to increase appetite in the hoo-s; 

 yet on the cows its effects in one respect were very percepti- 

 ble, for during the period they had salt they drank tlirea 

 gallons a day each more than at other times. 



Salt may possibly promote digestion, notwithstanding its 

 antiseptic quality, by stinudating the salival glands ancfthe 

 glands yielding the gastric juice, and by inducino- an in- 

 creased discharge of their respective fluids, so necessary to 

 the solubility of the different substances received into the 

 stomach before they can be admitted into the lacteals. 



Though there mav be nothing in the foregoino- experi- 

 ments to lead us to sujiposc that salt has anv otherwise a 

 tendency to promote a disposition in anin)als to fatten than 

 as it may contribute to their health by aiding their digestion, 

 yet it is probable that, when administered t^c) anipsals yield- 

 ing milk, it may contribute in some small degree to increase 

 that secretion j and this it may do by proujoting thirst, 

 which induces the animal to drink co])iously ; in conse- 

 quence of which the secretion of milk, as well as all other 

 secretions ol' the fiiiids, niay he augmented. Perhaps also 

 n may have ;) jlimulaling influence on the lacteals ihcm- 

 scKes. 



And yet, after all, admitting these experiments to prove 

 that salt iiicivases in some .small degree the production of 



nulk. 



