BEAN. 31 



converting starch into sugar, and consequently aids in 

 the process of digestion. English bran is therefore of 

 itself unsuitable as a food. Indian bran, on the con- 

 trary, owing to imperfect manufacture, retains a 

 considerable portion of the flour, which supplies nutri- 

 ment ; so that horses, doing slow work, may be kept in 

 good condition on 10 or 12 Ibs. of it alone, without 

 other grain. Given even in these quantities, it hardly 

 ever purges a horse. On the contrary, if an animal 

 gets " foul " and " loose " from too much corn, nothing 

 is better than to keep him simply on dry bran and grass 

 for a few days ; after which time his dung will become 

 well formed and healthy-looking. 



Dry bran seems to have a binding effect, or, at least, 

 one opposed to a lax condition of the bowels. This 

 is probably owing to a healthy action of the stomach 

 and intestines being induced by bulk being given to the 

 food, without the addition of a large proportion of 

 nutriment which would have a stimulating effect. 



Wet bran, in the form of a mash, is a laxative. 



I am very partial to the use of bran for hacks and 

 ordinary horses, when oats are not used, and would 

 advise that 3 or 4 Ibs. of it be given daily in a dry state. 

 If we turn to page 49, we shall see that bran contains 

 a large amount of mineral matter, of which a com- 

 paratively large proportion consists of phosphorus, 

 which is essential to the growth and development of the 

 various tissues. 



With race-horses and others, the custom is to give a 

 bran mash every Saturday night, or oftener, as the case 

 may demand. Instead of a simple bran mash, I much 

 prefer one to which linseed has been added* 



