DIGESTION EXPERIMENTS WITH SHEEP. 



311 



Summary of Earlier Work with Gluten Feed. 

 Digestion Coefficients. 



Averages are rot particularly satisfactory, especially when the figures 

 from which they are made up vary widely among themselves. The fore- 

 going averages show, however, the gluten feed to have a high digestibihty. 



A study of the numerous results brings out at least two striking facts. 

 In the first place, in some experunents the coefficients are very much 

 higher than in others. Thus, Series XX., Period 14, gave results very 

 noticeably below the others. 



It is the beUef of the writer, however, that at least a part of the varia- 

 tion is due to the lessened activity of the digestive processes, even though 

 such a condition may not be indicated by any outward signs. The 

 changing from one ration to another may also change the intestinal flora. 



In the second place, it is observed that in a number of instances the 

 gluten feed appears to be over 100 per cent, digestible. It seems reason- 

 able to assume that this is due to its favorable effect in increasing the 



