106 MxVNUAL OF CATTLE-FEEDING. 



fodder undergoes a mneli more intimate mixture in the 

 long and complex digestive apparatus of tlie rmuinants 

 tluin in tlie shorter and simpler one of tlie carnivora or of 

 man. In the latter it is often possible to distinguish the 

 excrement coming from the new fodder bj its appearance 

 fcin}ply, and if a little colored fruit bo eaten, it frequently 

 forms a sharp line of division between the two. 



The process of digestion in the horse and hog is, indeed, 

 more rapid than in the ruminants ; but, nevertheless, in 

 experiments on these animals, a similar preparatory period 

 is observed, to insure entire accuracv. 



A Sonree of Error in Digestion Experiments. — The 

 amount of solid matter digested must be eqnal at least to 

 the difference between fodder and excrement ; it is, in fact, 

 slightly greater, for the reason that the dry matter of the 

 excrement is somewhat increased by the addition of certain 

 products of the intestines themselves, and especially of por- 

 tions of the bile which escape resorption, so that the appar- 

 ent digestibility of the fodder is decreased by that amount. 



Some idea of the amount of nitpojenous substance llius 

 excreted, and the consecpient error in the determination of 

 the digestibility of the albuminoids, may be obtained by de- 

 termining the nitrogen in the ethereal and alcoholic extracts 

 of the excrement, and also the snlphxir in organic combina- 

 tion contained in the aqueous extract. The constituents of 

 the bile are largely soluble in alcohol and ether, while the 

 albuminoids are not ; of the 'bile-constituents not thus 

 soluble only the taurin needs to be considered, and this is 

 soluble in water and distinguished by a very large conteiit 

 of sulphur (25.6 per cent.), while its nitrogen amounts to 

 11.2 per cent. In this way it is not difficult to find the 

 greatest quantity of nitrogen which may possibly have 

 come from unresorbed biliary substances. 



