56 HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA 



reference almost exclusively to the composition of the 

 tissues, into which some of them enter very largely." 

 {Carpenter.) Iron is principally found in the red corpuscles 

 of the blood, in the muscles, and in the hair. 



Husk of Grain. — The office of the husk of grain 

 appears to be that of furnishing mineral matters, and of 

 giving bulk to the food. It also seems, by mechanical 

 irritation, to increase the worm-like motion of the bowels, 

 which tends to obviate the ill-consequences which might 

 arise from the decomposition, in the intestines, of the 

 unassimilated nitrogenous matters of the corn ; a possibility 

 likely to occur owing to the unstable nature of the com- 

 pounds of nitrogen. Both from theory and practice we 

 may safely conclude, that the husk should not be removed 

 from the grain which the horse is to consume. 



We may see, from the foregoing observations, that the 

 working parts of the animal machine are formed of 

 nitrogenous and mineral substances, with a small amount 

 of fat ; the motor power being obtained from heat generated 

 by the oxidation of fat, and also of the component parts of 

 the machine itself. 



Bulk in Food. — The fact of the horse's intestines 

 being of large capacity, indicates that his food should be 

 of a bulky nature. The intestines have a wormlike motion, 

 which causes the food to become thoroughly mixed with 

 the intestinal juices, its various particles to be presented 

 to the absorbents — which take up the nutritive matter — 

 and the remainder to be expelled onwards. They possess 

 this power of motion from the fact of one of their coats 

 being a layer of muscle which contracts when it is 

 stimulated by the presence of food. The more bulk the 



