GRAM 25 



state, and of a consistency a little gTeater than that of 

 milk. It may be flavoured with salt or sugar, according 

 to the horse's taste. 



Although gruel is generally regarded as an admirable 

 "pick-me-up" for exhausted horses, it possesses com- 

 paratively little merit in that respect, because the contained 

 grain, after entering into the stomach, cannot be properly 

 digested unless it is well mixed with saliva. As the 

 excretion of saliva into the mouth is largely dependent 

 on mastication, the more fluid a food is, the less saliva 

 will accompany it into the stomach and intestines. 



Sugar, especially cane-sugar, is the best of all restora- 

 tives for animals in a state of exhaustion, because it can 

 be absorbed into the system with little or no preliminary 

 preparation by the digestive juices. Also the more tired 

 a horse is, the more torpid are his digestive organs. 

 Therefore a solution of sugar is a far better restorative to 

 a fatigued horse, supposing that the amount of sugar is 

 equal to that of the starch in the gruel. Two or three 

 pounds of cane-sugar dissolved in, say, half a bucket of 

 cold water, is a much more refreshing drink for a tired or 

 weak horse than a similar quantity of gruel. 



Gram {Cicer arietinum). — This grain, known as chunna, 

 is very commonly used throughout Northern India and 

 the Bombay Presidency. It is objectionable on account 

 of its tendency to cause diarrhoea, and to induce a " foul " 

 and " heated " state of the system, when given in large 

 amounts, say anything above 10 lbs. daily. It is best 

 used in combination with bran, oats, Indian corn, barley, 

 or rice in husk. Before being used, it should be at least 

 seven or eight months old, and should be given in a 



