50 The Feeding of Animals 



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 function. In the bile, soda 

 is abundant, combined mostly with the peculiar or- 

 ganic acids of this secretion. Chlorine is a constant 

 constituent of the gastric juice, its presence as chlor- 

 hj'dric acid being essential to digestion. The preceding 

 are some of the prominent facts concerning the inor- 

 ganic compounds of the animal body, but they are only 

 a brief suggestion of the knowledge Avhich pertains to 

 this part of animal chemistr}'. 



