120 MAIS^UAL OF CATTLE-FEEDIlSrG. 



tioti of flesli, and in the following one tliose governing tlie 

 production of fat. 



The Laws of the Formation of Flesh have been 

 most thoroughly studied in the earnivora, but they are 

 essentially the same for all the higher animals. 



The various races of animals differ, indeed, as regards 

 the fodder which they chiefly consume, as well as in their 

 greater or less digestive power for certain kinds of fodder ; 

 but the real nutrients which are resorbed from the diges- 

 tive apparatus, even with the most varied rations, are 

 always the same, viz. : protein, fat, and sugar, together 

 with water and certain salts. Since, furthermore, in all 

 mammals at least, the corresponding organs are entirely 

 similar in their structure, chemical composition, and func- 

 tions, the decomposition of their constituents must follow 

 the same course, L 6., the substances once resorbed and 

 taken up into the circulation decompose or are laid up in 

 the body according to the same laws. 



Moreover, the laws derived from experiments on car- 

 nivora have been completely confirmed in their general 

 scope and bearing in all the experiments recently made 

 on herbivora, viz., on oxen, cows, sheep, and goats, though 

 the total afnount of material decomposed or stored up in 

 the body varies according to the proportions of the various 

 classes of nutrients contained in the normal fodder of the 

 animal. 



The food of the camivora consists chiefly of protein and 

 fat, while tlie herbivora consume relatively less of these 

 but large quantities of carbhydrates. 



The ability of the camivora and herbivora to resorb the 

 various nutrients is not, however, so different as is gener- 

 ally supposed ; it has been shown, e. g,^ that a dog is able 



