70 HOESE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA. 



animal to desire to drink water, when there is a defi- 

 ciency of that fluid in his blood. 



The stomach is furnished with a vast number of 

 blood vessels, the office of which is to absorb water for 

 the supply of the glands that secrete the gastric juice. 

 As the amount of the secretion, necessary for digestion, 

 varies from 10 to 20 gallons daily (Brinton), and as 

 about 99 per cent, of it is composed of water, we find 

 that the process of digestion, during the day, demands 

 the outpouring, for the formation of gastric juice, of 

 double or treble as much water, as there is blood in the 

 whole body. Now, as this water is derived directly 

 from the blood, its adequate supply can only be 

 obtained by the constant reabsorption, in the stomach, 

 of the watery portion of the effete gastric juice, as well 

 as of that of other fluids which may be present. Con- 

 sidering the enormous quantity of water required for 

 the secretion of the gastric juice, we may accept the 

 fact that drinking a small quantity of water with the 

 food is not alone free from objection, but may be 

 actually beneficial. On this point we may safely trust 

 to the instinct of the animal, and may consequently 

 leave a supply of water before him while he is eating ; 

 provided always that he has had a full opportunity of 

 drinking shortly before being fed. 



If (as we have seen in the preceding chapter), while 

 digestion be going on, a large amount of water be taken 

 into the stomach, it will dilute the gastric juice to an 

 extent that will probably arrest its action, until the 

 excess of water becomes absorbed. During this interval, 

 decomposition of the food, with consequent derange- 

 ment of the digestion, may ensue ; followed, perhaps, 



