584 ON THE STOMACHS OF RUMINANTS. 
particularly—if I might select either of them as most perfect in 
its kind—the manifolds. 
In proof of what I have stated, I will relate two singular in¬ 
stances which came under my own immediate cognizance. Two 
cows were observed, during the whole of their lives, to eat a more 
than ordinary quantity of food ; so much so, as at some times to 
even double and almost treble that w'hich was consumed by 
ordinary cattle. They did not, however, repay this great con¬ 
sumption by a better appearance or more plentiful supply of milk ; 
on the contrary, their milk was rather smaller in quantity, and 
of an inferior quality, compared with ordinary cows; and the 
fattening of them was attended with great cost and trouble, and 
took much longer than the usual time. 
These lusus naturae, as I considered them, I for a long time 
narrowly watched, unable to give any satisfactory reason for their 
great voracity ; and frequently thinking that if bulimia was ever 
known to exist in the brute creation, it was here presented to 
my view, for food of every description, except animal, was de¬ 
voured by them with wonderful rapidity. The cause of this re¬ 
mained unknown and unsuspected until they were slaughtered, 
when, to me, a most important point in the physiology of diges¬ 
tion in ruminants stood clearly developed ; for upon examining 
into the structure of their manifolds, the internal surface of one 
of them merely displayed rugae not quite so long as my finger; 
and in the other the corrugations were even less strongly marked. 
This fact, then, plainly demonstrated that the food in these two 
cases, owing to the mal-formation of the manifolds, was not re¬ 
tained that length of time which was necessary for the breaking 
or macerating of it into a pulp for the more complete action of 
the abomasum and intestines; and that in its passage through 
the latter, as much chyle could not be separated from an equal 
quantity of food as would have been done had not Nature played 
this freak; and that from this cause they were obliged to take 
in a larger quantity, or, in other words, to eat more frequently 
than ordinary cattle, in order to produce the required quantity 
of nutriment for their due support, and the healthy performance 
of the various secretions. I have thought it necessary thus to 
give a brief outline of my imperfect opinions of the physiology 
of the paunch and manifolds, previous to replying to Mr. Friend, 
and for the better illustration of those replies ; and although he 
has, in so fearless a manner, advocated the necessity for the ex¬ 
hibition of strong purgatives in similar cases to those related by 
me in The Veterinarian for August last, and however feasi¬ 
ble his arguments in support of his favourite theory may appear to 
himself and others, still has he failed in convincing me of their 
