140 SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



2. The moistening of food with cold water just 

 before feeding helps to ensure consumption of hard 

 unpalatable materials and allows of the different 

 materials being well mixed. It also prevents the 

 fine particles of meal being blown about, as well as 

 the injury which the dust might cause to the 

 respiratory organs. It has been shown experi- 

 mentally that simply moistening the food has not 

 the least influence upon its digestibility, but where 

 it is left to soak for some time in cold water the 

 effect is somewhat different. If the amount of 

 water soaked up is so much that the drinking- 

 water is reduced 25% of what it would be if the 

 food were taken dry, then a slight depression of 

 protein digestion results. An excessive consump- 

 tion of water is also for other reasons (p. 101) to be 

 avoided. 



3. The cooking, scalding, or steaming of food has 

 for its object the softening of hard material, and the 

 rendering of the whole more palatable and more 

 easily masticated. When hot water or steam are 

 used injurious moulds or animal parasites are killed, 

 but there is naturally no guarantee that injurious 

 products of decomposition or poisonous substances 

 will be rendered harmless. 



Cooked, scalded, or steamed food is usually given 

 warm and so brings a certain amount of heat into 

 the animal body, which, where a meagre ration is 

 being fed, or where the stable is cold, may serve 



