IN ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE FOOD. 895 



has been ascertained by Government Commis- 

 sioners, that when the peasantry of Ireland have 

 no other food than potatoes, they consume about 

 8 Ibs. per day, which contain the same amount 

 of farinaceous matter as 2 Ibs. of flour. It is also 

 well known that a full sized horse or ox, weigh- 

 ing 700 Ibs., may be well supported on 10 Ibs. of 

 grain per day ; and that a lion weighing 350 Ibs. 

 requires 10 Ibs. of fresh meat daily ; so that if he 

 weighed 700 Ibs. he would require 20 Ibs. In 

 accordance with this fact, I have ascertained 

 that a cat of average size requires 6 oz. of meat 

 per day, and, if allowed, would consume much 

 more. It is therefore evident, that the various 

 species of grain afford a much larger amount of 

 nourishment than the same weight of fresh lean 

 meat. 



We are informed by Major Tulloch, that the 

 weekly rations of the British troops are 7 Ibs. of 

 fresh and salted meat, 7 Ibs. of flour, 2^ pints of 

 peas, lOoz. of rice, 9oz. of sugar, 5 oz. of cocoa, 

 and 2 pints of spirits. If, then, 7 Ibs. of meat 

 contain 25 per cent, of fat, it will make 28 oz. 

 which contain 90 per cent, of carbon and hydro- 

 gen, or 25-i- oz. And if we suppose that 7 Ibs. of 

 lean meat contains 25 per cent, of solid matter 

 when deprived of water, there will remain 28 oz. of 

 muscular and albuminous matter, which contains 

 60 per cent, of carbon and hydrogen, or 16*8 oz., 

 making in all 3*5 Ibs. of solid fat and lean meat, 



