PREPARATION OF FOOD. 57 



sure guide in the selection of food in all cases, so must 

 regulate it according to the indications afforded us by 

 the study of the anatomy and functions of his system. 



Preparation of Food. Oats, gram, Indian corn, bar- 

 ley, wheat, and rice in husk (dhan, or paddy) should be 

 bruised or broken before being given to the horse, in order 

 to oblige him to masticate them properly, so that the 

 grain may become thoroughly saturated with saliva. If 

 "given in a whole state, it is liable to be swallowed, on 

 its outer surface alone becoming moistened. 



Heat, whether by the process of boiling or parching, 

 causes the grains of starch in corn to burst, and the al- 

 bumen to coagulate, so that the different digestive fluids 

 are then able to penetrate easily through its substance. 

 The objection to boiling is that it causes the food to become 

 saturated with water, which decreases its digestibility, 

 and greatly increases its bulk. Parching, however, is 

 free from any such drawback, and may be most advan- 

 tageously applied to the preparation of barley and 

 wheat. The husk of the first mentioned grain has, 

 to a more or less extent, an irritating effect on the 

 intestines of the horse, and probably possesses some acrid 

 principle. The process of parching not alone renders the 

 grain porous, but also deprives the husk of its objec- 

 tionable properties. The husk of linseed, kulthee, and 

 urud is so hard that they require to the boiled before 

 being given. 



