266 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



may be swallowed after little mastication, we do not get the 

 action of the saliva on the food or the digestive organs that 

 nature intended. That the presence of saliva is essential to 

 perfect gastric digestion is proved by the fact that flatulence 

 develops soon after eating, if the salivary glands are de- 

 stroyed, so that no saliva passes into the stomach with the 

 food. 



We also notice the influence of imperfect mastication on 

 the production of indigestion and colic in horses that "bolt" 

 their feed. Where the teeth have become badly worn, in old 

 horses, or where there is disease of them or other organs 

 that prevents thorough mastication, it is advantageous to cut 

 the hay and crush or grind the grain. If not done, much of 

 the food passes into the stomach and through the intestines 

 whole. It is not digested, therefore does the animal no good. 

 It is practically wasted. More than this, in passing through 

 the intestines in large quantities it gives rise to considerable 

 irritation, and is liable to undergo fermentation. On this 

 account, attacks of flatulent and spasmodic colic are common 

 among horses with irregular or diseased teeth. If a horse 

 acquires the habit of "bolting" the grain when ground, it 

 may be prevented by spreading it in a thin layer over the 

 bottom of the manger, or by mixing it in the manger with 

 six or eight smooth stones the size of the flst. 



Contrary to popular opinion, cooked grains, particularly 

 oats, are more diflicult to digest than uncooked ones. By 

 cooking I refer to boiling. Smith says : " EUenberger and 

 Hofmeister are of the opinion that starch conversion in the 

 stomach of the horse occurs not only through the saliva 

 swallowed, but by the development of a ferment from the 

 food. They found that oats could yield a starch-converting 

 ferment active at body temperature, but destroyed by boil- 

 ing. They have further stated that starch-converting fer- 

 ments may in the horse be derived from the air swallowed 

 with the food." Practical experience in feeding in large 

 stables shows unquestionably that more horses sufier from 

 indigestion, colic, etc., when fed cooked grain rather than 

 uncooked. Certain foods, such as potatoes, pumpkins, etc., 

 are rendered more digestible and less harmful by cooking. 



