EXCRETIONS. 



75 



nous matters excreted from the body. And later experi- 

 ments also confirm Volt's conclusions. The present state 

 of the evidence seems to establish the fact that all the ni- 

 trogen of the food, except what is appropriated to an in- 

 crease of body, or the production of milk, is recovered in 

 the visible excrements. This has been proved by experi- 

 ments upon various animals, and is a matter of the 

 highest importance in understanding a rational system of 

 feeding. 



Experiments have included oxen, milch cows, sheep, etc. 

 We copy the following table from Dr. Armsby's Manual of 

 Cattle-feeding. This includes oxen and milch cows at 

 three different stations. The determination of the nitro- 

 gen in the excrement also includes that in the milk when 

 the experiment relates to milch cows. The weight is given 

 in grammes ( T 1 F of an ounce). 



Sheep were experimented with to determine this point at 

 Weende Experiment Station, and, when allowance was 

 made for the growth of the wool, the excrements fully ac- 

 counted for all the nitrogen in the food. 



Stohmann, at Halle Experiment Station, proved that the 

 nitrogen of the food was all found in the visible excre- 

 ments of the goat ; and it may thus be considered as es- 

 tablished that all the nitrogen of the food of our domestic 



