V. 



INTROBUCTION^I 



ix 

 submitting this dung to a similar process as that which determines the nutritive powers of the 

 grass, the results prove what those parts of grass are, that are retained in the body of tl 

 mal for the purposes of life. The following results of experiments made on the dung of sLTn" 

 and deer, will be sufficient to exemplify this. & p, 



1920 grains of the mixed leaves of cock's-foot grass, ray-grass, and white clover afforded of 

 soluble matter fifty-three grains, which consisted of mucilage, sugar, gluton, bitter extrac 



tlVP nnrl coll i^^ t-^^++ n ac- 



tive, and saline matters. 



1920 grains of the dung of sheep which fed on these grasses, afforded of soluble matter thirteen 



grams and a half, consisting of bitter extractive, and saline matters 

 1920 grains of the dung of deer, which also fed on these grasses, afforded eleven o,ai„s ..d 



three quarters, of the same nature as that of the sheep. '^ 



The bitter extract, or soluble matters of the dung, was examined chemically by Sir H Davv 

 he found .ts qualities to be so analogous to the bitter extractive of the grasses, that they rnJ^ 

 be nnstaken for each other. The extractive matter obtained by boilmg the fresh dung of cows 



gave similar results. 



F,,,n these fec.s Si. H. Davy oWve,, " !, appea,, prohik that ,he hitter ex.raet, .hou.h 

 »lal>le ■„ a krge <,.a„«,y of wa.o. i. ve.-y lUUe „„rtive; h,rt p,.„bah,y it ™ the purpose 



f p,-eve„.,„,, ,„ a certain e«e«, ,he fc™c„.a,i„„ of .he other vege.ie matter, in'heL 



mach, or ,„ „o<hfy,„g o,- ass.ting the fauelion, of digestion, ,„c. .„ay thus he of considevahie 

 use ,„ formn,g a eonstituent part of the food of cattle. A small q.tantity of hitter extract and 



nntntive, m proportion a, they contain other suhslanees." 



food Z stelp! "" "'""'"' " " '""^ *"' "'"' '°''"™«=°° o" ""= ">"- of '"-F »° 



, r 



''Itr' "" ''","'; '"*'■ '"'•'"'•' °" "■'"* *-P -™ '»'«"8. »<rorded of nntritive 

 mattei 8o grams, which consisted of 



Mucilage, . „ . 



*_ - - - - 9 grains. 



J>accliarme matter, or sugar, - . . 73 



Bitter extractive and saline matters, - . - 3 



1 



atter, by ,nea„s of a large ci„anlity of „„er, ,7 grains, which consisted of. 



Animal mucous and mucilage, . ... 3, grains. 



Bitter extractive and saline matters. 



- . - 14 



The most remarkable circumsian^« l, • i 



^ung to that which k T. ''"™''^"^'^ 1^"'^' >« the superior quantity of bitter extractive in the 

 "^, Lo mat winch is shewn to e^i^h ir. +T. 4- • i i i 



occasionally fed in the field . 1 "™P' ' ^"* '^' '^'''P ^"'^ ^'^>^' °" ^^^^^ ^^^^^ 



tion from the soluble . H' T '^"'"'"'"^ *^ ^."^^l^ble portion of the dung, (after separa- 



y> which evidently had afforded the extra quantity of bitter extractive to the dung 



1 



