AN ESSAY ON FAT AND MUSCLE. 
673 
having a great tendency to fatten, function must react on organiza- 
tion, and at last those qualities become not only increased, but 
fixed in the race. By function reacting on organization, is meant 
— when an organ, as the lungs for instance, becomes diminished in 
consequence of not performing its natural function, and the disposi- 
tion to accumulate fat is thereby produced — the diminished structure 
is very likely to be reproduced in the progeny of an animal so 
affected ; hence the reaction : and if the same system be pursued, 
particularly in breeding from the nearest affinities, this effect will 
be more speedily produced. It is in this manner that the greatest 
improvements have been made in our native breeds from time to 
time — in the short-horns and improved long-horns — in the improved 
Herefords and Devons. The history of those different breeds 
sufficiently proves this. The dam of Hubback, the sire of the 
short-horned race, became so fat that she soon ceased to breed ; 
and her son, having the same tendency, was useful as a bull but 
for a very short period. This was also the case with Bolingbroke, 
and several of Mr. Colling’s best bulls. The two cows of Mr. 
Tomkins, Mottle and Pigeon, the originators of the improved Here- 
fords, were selected in consequence of their extraordinary tendency 
to become fat ; and the whole secret of Bake well, as to the method 
which he pursued to establish the long-horned cattle and new 
Leicester sheep, lay here. 
There is a delicacy of form and a refinement of tone which cha- 
racterize animals bred in this manner, and they acquire early 
maturity ; their bone and muscle are more quickly developed, and 
are soon ripe, because they sooner become old. In a wild state, 
and without reference to the wants of man, we should consider 
these qualities as a progress towards deterioration ; and so they 
are, since the animals suffer by the exchange — but man gains an 
improvement. It will be shewn, however, before we conclude, 
that by carrying this system of breeding too far, in many instances 
man also has become a very considerable loser. The very opposite 
system to this has been established in the breeding of the race- 
horse, and, accordingly, there have been produced opposite results. 
The object being here to develop a structure capable of great 
speed with powers of endurance, to attain these qualities, animals 
were selected with large lungs ; and the system pursued in training 
them has tended to develop a still more powerful structure of 
those organs. The object in training the race-horse is to increase 
what is commonly called the wind ; and the regular gallops which 
are given for this purpose increase the power of the lungs ; and 
the breathing becomes accordingly freer and deeper, and the 
capability of exertion is increased. We have an example here 
also of the effect of function reacting on organization ; for the 
VOL. XVII. 4 U 
