'V2 FEEDING WITH SUGAR BEETS, SUGAR, ETC. 



Feeding Working Animals. 



Theoretical con- The theories relating to the feeding of working animals 

 siderations. h ave un( j er g One man y changes within recent years. For a long 

 while it was admitted that muscular exertion always meant a 

 wear and tear upon the organs of the body in which the ex- 

 penditure of protein was several times greater than during 

 periods of rest. Experiments by Voit have long since demon- 

 strated that the consumption of albuminoids is not necessarily 

 greater during work than it is in rest. Evidently during work 

 the circulation is more active which necessitates a greater con- 

 sumption of protein in special directions, but there soon follows 

 a compensation. On the other hand, during the activity there is 

 necessarily greater consumption of fat than during rest, and also 

 it must not be forgotten that during this period more oxygen 

 enters the lungs, the combustion is greater and the caloric gen- 

 erated is increased; this is necessarily followed by an increased 

 perspiration and ultimate loss of animal heat. Consequently 

 efforts to fatten an animal doing work would be folly. The 

 subject continues to be constantly discussed and authorities do 

 not agree. Many of the experiments made upon dogs have led 

 to some results of more or less importance. The writer con- 

 siders it unnecessary to give numerous tables, showing that the 

 consumption of protein is entirely independent of work done as 

 mentioned in the foregoing. 



Interesting experiments by Henneberg upon sheep show that 

 the muscular expenditure due to mastication and rumination 

 have an important influence upon the loss of carbonic acid. 

 Animals receiving their rations in the regular way threw out 

 from the body 54 per cent, of total carbonic acid during the day; 

 when fed at night, 56 per cent, of total carbonic acid was thrown 

 off during the twelve hours of feeding. Numerous experi- 

 ments upon horses offer for our readers matter which is for- 

 eign to our subject. As regards this question, it is interesting to 

 mention that some authorities pretend that as the consumption 

 of fat increases with work done, it is to this source we must look 

 for muscular force. As the work done has its equivalent in the 

 excess of heat produced, there is possibly a transformation of 

 heat into work exactly as in the steam engine. Heat comes 



