616 THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



vitality. Now as this pure muscular fiber appears to be identi- 

 cal in composition with the fibrine of the blood, we see the 

 force of the expression " blood will tell," which means that a 

 highly-bred animal has greater vitality, or ,in other words, 

 greater muscular power, than the mongrel. 



The Blood. The blood is supplied from the food by the 

 digestive process. It furnishes all the tissues of the body with 

 a constant stream of the materials which they severally need 

 at one time for nutrition, at another for secretion or excretion, 

 functions performed by suitable organs, such as stomach, liver, 

 kidneys, and so on. 



The muscles demand fibrine and oxygen, combined in arte- 

 rial blood. The nervous system can not respond to the calls of 

 its grand center without having a due supply of fatty matter, 

 in combination with oxygen, which the process of respiration 

 affords, and also eliminates the excess of carbon. For these 

 purposes the blood must be supplied with liquid elements, which 

 are derived by absorption from the digestive organs. Its oxy- 

 gen is supplied by means of the delicate lining of the lungs. 

 Thus we see that the stomach, bowels, liver, pancreas, and 

 spleen are all employed furnishing the fluid with grosser mate- 

 rials, while the heart, lungs, kidneys, and skin are constantly 

 engaged in circulating it and supplying it with oxygen and 

 purifying it from noxious salts and gases. The importance, 

 then, of blood free from impurities is apparent. 



This suggests to the farmer that the animal needs pure air 

 to furnish the oxygen in due proportions. It needs pure water 

 free from deleterious matters that if once taken into the system 

 must be eliminated by the action of functions designed for this 

 purifying process. The action of the skin is so important that 

 we can not afford to tax the delicate inner organs to do what 

 they might have been saved from by the groom's proper use 

 of the brush and friction, and keeping the stable and bedding 

 clean and free from impure air. The whole process of blood- 

 making and nutrition calls for intelligent provision of appro- 

 priate food and water and air. Impurity of blood is the pre- 

 cursor of disease. 



