Saving of Muscle. 177 



When blood flow and organization cease in the fibres of 

 muscles, disorganization begins. The fibres die as their 

 circulation ceases. The muscle substance is nearly similar 

 in color, to fat, after the red blood ceases to flow in and 

 color it ; and being no longer supplied with blood, the 

 dead substance of the fibres is rapidly disorganized and 

 transformed to fat-like matter, the dead matter of the 

 fibres being in this state added to, and increasing the quan- 

 tity and proportion of fat ; at the same time equally reduc- 

 ing the quantity and proportion of lean flesh, or muscle 

 tissue. 



Many fat cattle have sufiScient vigor of muscle and cir- 

 culation to escape this disorganizing process — the fatty de- 

 generation of the muscles. But others are seriously af- 

 fected by it. Tlie disorganization of the fibres and fascicles 

 of the muscles results from disuse and inaction in the 

 legs or other affected parts of the animal; this inaction it- 

 self resulting from reduced or prohibited exercise. 



When fat cattle are constantly and closely confined, ex- 

 ercise, in that case, is so far prohibited. If they are too 

 fat to take exercise, inaction or disuse in their locomotive 

 muscles, is the result. The more loaded with fat, the 

 greater liability of cattle or hogs to muscular inaction, and 

 in parts to disorganization; while the size and action of 

 the lungs are certainly reduced according to reduced ac- 

 tivity, when the inaction is long continued. And in num- 

 bers of cases the contractive muscular action of the heart 

 and the size of its openings are reduced ; its circulating 

 force being impeded and enfeebled by the accumulations 

 of fat within its passages ; which, practically, is degenera- 

 tion of the substance and natural power of the heart. 



Having briefly explained the nature and main cause of 

 reduction in size, and degeneration in the substance of 

 muscle, which takes place mainly in the parts that are made 

 active'during exercise, and'which become inactive in the 



