890 RATIO OF SOLID MATTER IN ALIMENTS. 



In a full grown ox, the whole amount of lean 

 meat is estimated at 400 Ibs. But in some rare 

 cases, the animal has been so far loaded with fat 

 as to weigh 2000 Ibs ; the proportion of fat being 

 as four to one of muscular flesh, which contains 

 about 75 per cent, of water, and therefore only 25 

 per cent, of solid matter. It must, however, be 

 observed, that poultry, veal, lamb, venison, hares, 

 rabbits, and nearly all wild animals, contain very 

 little fat, more especially in hot climates. 



But according to Boussingault, the proportion 

 of solid matter in wheat when deprived of water, 

 is 95 per cent. And if we estimate' the ratio of 

 pure flour at 90 per cent, it follows that 2*20 Ibs. 

 of wheat will afford 2 Ibs. of starch and gluten ; 

 whereas it requires 8 Ibs. of lean fresh meat to 

 afford 2 Ibs. of nutritive matter when deprived of 

 water. The potato also contains from 24 to 33 

 per cent, of starch and gluten, according to the 

 analyses of M. Payen ; so that if we estimate the 

 average at only 25 per cent. 8 Ibs. must afford 

 the same quantity as 2 Ibs. of flour, and the same 

 proportion of solid matter as 8 Ibs. of fresh lean 

 meat. 



Let us now examine the chemical composition 

 of the more important aliments. In the follow- 

 ing table they are reduced to three classes. The 

 first embraces the principal constituents of grain 

 and other vegetables ; the second, the fibrin, 

 albumen, and caseine, of both animal and vegeta- 



