22 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



The blood contains all the elements of every part of the 

 body. Yet it bears but a small proportion to the whole 

 body, averaging only from 6 to 8 per cent. Although the 

 blood is constantly furnishing material to build up the 

 tissues of the body in every part, yet its quantity remains 

 practically the same, and its chemical constituents may be 

 considered unvarying the blood is constantly forming 

 from the food and as constantly being absorbed by the 

 secretory vessels. 



2d. The fleshy parts, or muscles, of animals consist, 

 principally, of muscular fibre, or fibrin; and contain, 

 besides cellular tissue, nervous substance, blood, and lym- 

 phatic vessels and an acid juice. This juice contains lactic 

 acid, a little albumen, some salts of potash, phosphate of 

 lime, and magnesia, and gives the taste to flesh. This 

 muscular fibre has a close analogy to the fibrin of blood, to 

 albumen, white of eggs, casein, gluten, legumen, and albu- 

 men of vegetables. All these substances contain about 16 

 per cent, of nitrogen, and a small quantity of phosphorus 

 and sulphur. 



These albuminoids contained in the muscles, cellular 

 tissue, blood and lymphatic vessels have a general compo- 

 sition, according to J. F. W. Johnston, of: 



Water ................................... 77.00 



Albuminoids, with a little fat ............. 22.00 



Phosphate of lime ......................... 66 



Other saline matter (sulphur, etc.) ......... 34 



100.00 



The ultimate composition of albuminoids has about the 

 following average : 



Carbon ................................... 53.00 



Hydrogen ................................ 7.00 



Nitrogen .................. , .............. 16.00 



Oxygen .................................. 22.50 



sygen 

 ilphur 



Sulphur ................... 1 50 



100.00 



