64 SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



shown that these animals are able to utilise 72% 

 of the protein of the milk for the formation of flesh, 

 which is a very high percentage. 



2. Formation of fat from protein. 



Various investigations point to the conclusion 

 that in the splitting up of protein (p. 42) in the 

 animal cells, sugar is formed, along with nitrogenous 

 substances. In a healthy animal the sugar is at 

 once utilised, but if the body has lost this power, 

 as in diabetic diseases, then sugar appears in con- 

 siderable quantities in the urine, although the food 

 may consist only of lean meat. 



It will shortly be seen that under certain condi- 

 tions fat can be formed from sugar in the body, so 

 it may be concluded that protein can take part in 

 the formation of fat. Investigations on carnivorous 

 animals which were given lean meat in large quanti- 

 ties fully confirm this. With herbivorous animals 

 such investigations are impossible, for they cannot 

 subsist on a diet of pure protein, without other foods 

 being given. It is possible though to arrange 

 experiments so that the increase of fat can be 

 determined when a known weight of protein is 

 added to a basal ration. From a number of such 

 investigations it has been found that on an average 

 I kilogram of vegetable protein (wheat gluten) 

 gives a maximum addition of 235 gr. fat. It was 

 further found that only 35% of the energy of the 

 protein went to form fat, 19% was lost in the 



