132 THE NATURE AND TREATMENT OF 



failing in supplying the waste of the tissues, and partly to 

 the fact that single alimentary substances, long continued, 

 excite such a feeling of disgust, that the animals experimented 

 on seem to perfer the endurance of starvation to the ingestion 

 of the same." 



Our readers are aware that when a person be long confined 

 to any particular article of diet, a craving for something else is 

 experienced, which very few persons can resist. This teaches 

 us that in order to preserve the health of live stock, we must 

 vary the diet, and are not to be over-particular in selecting the 

 most nutritious articles. But we want, as Napoleon says, a 

 little rubbish — coarse rubbish. The internal surface of the 

 stomach and bowels require to be irritated once in awhile, and 

 this probably was the idea which Graham had, when he first 

 recommended coarse food. The stomach must be made to labor 

 bard occasionally, or its function will deteriorate. Persons 

 who complain of weak stomachs and dyspepsia, are those who 

 live on dainty viands, and seldom, if ever, distend that organ 

 to a healthy capacity with coarse material. 



Consider for a moment the condition of Spanish and Italian 

 peasants ; they know nothing of our national disease, dyspepsia. 

 Their bread has the appearance of being composed of sawdust ; 

 the very sight of the same would disgust our effeminate stom- 

 achs ; yet, with the addition of a little oil, wine, and a few veg- 

 etables, they can endure greater hardships, and often carry a 

 heavier burden, with less fatigue, than the advocate'^ of roast 

 beef and fine flour. 



We may distend the stomach with coarse food, and perhaps 

 not impair its function ; but if we overburden it vf'iih. fine meal 

 or any other highly nitrogenized article which the digestive ap- 

 paratus can assimulate very readily, until repletion takes place, 

 then there is danger. The best food for distending the stomach 

 of a horse is sweet hay, cut straw, Swedish turnips, carrots, 

 squash, apples, and potatoes. As an illustration of what work- 

 ing horses can subsist on, I present the following bill of fare, 

 on which some English farm horses livej and grow fat : — 



