COMPOSITION OF THE FECULENT MASS. 269 



Brought forward, .... 13.990 



Phosphate of lime and phosphate of magnesia trace of 



carbonate of lime, . . . . 0.176 



Phosphate of potash and of soda, . . . 0.802 



Phosphate of ammonia, .... 0.102 



Lactate of potash, ..... 0.330 



Water, ...... 84.600 



100.000 



Defecation. The feculent. mass which animals pass by the 

 fundament, so important in an agricultural point of view, con- 

 sists 1. Of the parts of the aliment which have been subjected 

 to all the agencies concerned in digestion, without being thereby 

 reduced to solubility ; 2. The part of the bile which combines 

 with the refuse of the alimentary mass ; 3. Actual bile, which 

 has been neither decomposed nor absorbed; 4. Intestinal 

 mucus ; 5. Saline matters, such as are incapable of being 

 absorbed. 



The quantity of the daily faeces is very variable. On this 

 point the observations have been made chiefly in the human 

 body. The mean quantity amounts to between four and five 

 ounces in man. The irregularity does not seem to be con- 

 nected with an excess of undigested matter. When the ali- 

 mentary mass passes rapidly through the intestines, the daily 

 quantity of faeces, due allowance being made, is greater than 

 when the mass descends more slowly. The faeces, when formed 

 or half formed, contain near 74 per cent of water or at least of 

 water and matters volatile at a temperature a little above the 

 boiling point of water and 26 per cent of solid constituents ; 

 in regard to the latter, however, there are very considerable 

 variations. 



The amount of undigested matters varies very much in 

 different cases, equalling, on an average, from 10 to 12 per 

 cent of the solid matters. A microscopic examination always 



