Jr A Jlv X ix* 



THE FEEDING-STUFFS, 



CHAPTER I. 



DIGESTIBILITY. 



A suBSTAiTCE is said to be digestible if, when eaten, it 

 can either be taken np directly by the absorbent vessels of 

 the stomach and intestines, or is capable of being altered 

 by the digestive fluids into substances which can be thus 

 resorbed. The pnre nutrients (except, perhaps, cellulose) 

 may be considered to be wholly digestible, thus justifying 

 their name, but as they occur in feeding-stuffs various 

 circumstances conspire to prevent their entire digestion. 



In the first place, as has already been more than once 

 pointed out, our methods of fodder analysis are very im- 

 perfect, and serve only to divide the substances contained 

 in the fodder into groups of more or less similar matters. 

 All the nitrogenous matters are — or have hitherto been — • 

 included under the albuminoids, all the substances soluble 

 in ether under fat, etc., while the nitrogen-free extract, 

 being determined by difference, includes everything not 



