46 THE FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



TABLE XVII. IN 100 PARTS OF THE ASH OF BONE (AVERAGE) 



Calcium phosphate 83.9 



Calcium carbonate 13. 



Calcium in other combinations .35 



Fluorine 23 



Chlorine .18 



97.66 



57. Ash elements in the soft tissues. The muscular 

 tissue and other soft parts of the animal body contain 

 less than 1 per cent of incombustible materials. The ash 

 of flesh is mostly phosphoric acid and potash, accompanied 

 by comparatively small amounts of soda, lime, and mag- 

 nesia and minute quantities of chlorine and iron. Unques- 

 tionably, potassium phosphate is the predominating salt 

 in flesh, as calcium phosphate is in bone. 



58. Ash elements in the blood. The blood contains 

 a variety of mineral substances, the chief of which is 

 sodium chloride, or common salt, although a minute 

 amount of iron is present, having a most important func- 

 tion. In the bile, soda is abundant, combined mostly 

 with the peculiar organic acids of this secretion. Chlorine 

 is a constant constituent of the gastric juice, its presence 

 as chlorhydric acid being essential to digestion. The 

 preceding are some of the prominent facts concerning 

 the inorganic compounds of the animal body, but they 

 are only a brief suggestion of the knowledge which per- 

 tains to this part of animal chemistry. 



