FEEDING OF ANIMALS. 279 



per cent of the total mineral matter of the animals is phos- 

 phoric acid. In the case of oxen and sheep, nearly 45 per 

 cent, and in that of pigs about 40 per cent, will be lime ; 

 whilst of potash, the ash of oxen and sheep will probably 

 contain from 5 to 6 per cent, and that of pigs 7 to 8 per cent, 

 or more. 



Of total nitrogenous compounds, as well as of total mineral 

 matter, oxen seem to contain, in parallel conditions, a rather 

 higher percentage than sheep, and sheep rather more than pigs. 

 It is seen that the entire body of the fat calf contained about 

 15 1, that of a moderately fat ox 14|, of a fat lamb 12|, of a 

 fat sheep 12£, of a very fat one about 11, and of a moderately 

 fattened pig also about 11 per cent of nitrogenous substance. 

 The store or lean animals contained from 2 to 3 per cent more 

 than the moderately fat ones. 



The figures show, on the other hand, that fat constitutes by 

 far the largest item in the dry or solid matter of the entire 

 bodies of the animals, especially of those fit for slaughtering 

 as human food. Even the half-fat ox contained about 19 per 

 cent of fat, or more than of nitrogenous substance. The 

 entire body of the store sheep also contained nearly 19 per 

 cent of fat, that is, several per cent more than of nitrogenous 

 substance; that of the half -fat old sheep 23£ per cent, or 

 more than 1| time as much as of nitrogenous substance ; and 

 that of the store pig also more than 23 per cent of fat, and 

 about If time as much as of nitrogenous substance, 



Of the fattened animals, the entire body of the fat ox con- 

 tained rather more, and that of the fat lamb rather less, than 

 30 per cent of fat ; that of the fat sheep 35£ per cent, of the 

 very fat sheep 45| per cent, and that of the fat pig about 42 

 per cent of fat. The fat calf, however, contained even rather 

 less than 15 per cent of fat. 



Thus, the entire bodies, even of store or lean animals, may 

 contain more fat than nitrogenous compounds, whilst those of 

 fattened animals may contain several times as much. That 

 of the fat ox contained more than twice as much, that of the 

 moderately fat sheep nearly three times, of the very fat sheep 

 more than four times, and of the moderately fattened pig about 

 four times, as much fat as nitrogenous substance. 



In conclusion on this point — all the experimental evidence Change in 

 concurs in showing, that the so-called fattening of animals is ^J^ f 

 properly so designated. During the feeding or fattening pro- the animal 

 cess, the percentage of the total dry substance of the body is mp™^ 

 considerably increased ; and the fatty matter accumulates in i ng , 

 much larger proportion than the nitrogenous substance. It 

 is obvious, therefore, that the increase of the fattening animal 

 must contain a lower percentage of nitrogenous substance, and 



