140 MANUAL OF CATTLE-EEEDIKa 



grammes of fat so decreases tie protein consumption, which 

 was before greater than the supply, cansing the animal to 

 lose flesh constantly, that it is now equal to the latter, or 

 perhaps, in some cases, less, so that a gain of flesh results. 

 That is, we can keep the same amount of flesh on such an 

 animal by feeding 500 grammes of meat and 200 grammes 

 of fat, as by feeding 1,500 grammes of pure meat. In 

 the former case, although the supply of protein is much 

 less, the consumption of it in the body is correspondingly 

 less ; and though the animal may be less lively and ener- 

 getic in its motions on this account, it may still be main- 

 tained in good condition for any length of time on such a 

 ration without the least injury to its health. 



That the protein consumption, as above stated, is less than 

 when 1,500 grammes of meat are fed is due, in great part, 

 to the decreased supply of albuminoids, the effect of this 

 being the same as when only albuminoids are fed, as was ex- 

 plained and illustrated in the first paragraph of this section. 



The effect of the addition of the fat is simply to de- 

 crease the consumption a little more ; "but this little carries 

 it past the point of equilibrium, and so prevents the con- 

 tinual loss of flesh which takes place without it. The 

 animal may even gain flesh on such a ration. In this 

 case, therefore, the addition of 200 grammes of fat has 

 saved 1,000 grammes of meat, as compared with a purely 

 flesh diet. We are not, however, to understand that if to 

 the large ration of 1,500 grammes of meat we add 200 

 grammes of fat, the daily flesh consumption will sink at 

 once to 500 grammes or less, and that 1,000 grammes 

 of flesh will be formed in the body. The protein con- 

 sumption, as already insisted on, is dependent in the first 

 place on the supply of albuminoids in the food, and an in- 

 crease of the latter correspondingly increases the former ; 



