ANIMAL FOOD. 
Domestic Fowls, 
Wild Fowls; Pork, 
Suet, ‘ : 4 : 
Veal, roasted; Pork, and salted Beef, 
‘salted and naledle 
5 30 
ANIMAL HEAT. 185 
4 0 | which animal food is sparingly admitted. This, 
we believe, has been experienced by most literary 
men, and, indeed, by students of every kind. But 
total abstinence from it is a very different thing. 
“Both of these tables are instructive, and de-| However it might agree with individual consti- 
serve attention. 
“We have already observed that food may be 
too nutritive for health. Innumerable instances 
might be adduced in support of this fact. Take 
one or two in regard to inferior animals ;—‘ The 
dog fed by Majendie on white bread and water 
died in the course of seven weeks; but another 
fed by him on brown soldiers’ bread did not suf 
fer. When dogs were fed on sugar and water 
they died in a month; but if a considerable por- 
tion of saw-dust be mixed with the sugar their 
health will not be affected by it, although they 
are naturally carnivorous animals. It was also 
shown that an ass fed on rice died in fifteen days ; 
but if a large quantity of chopped straw had been 
mixed with the rice he would have continued to 
live and be well. Horses fed exclusively on meal 
or grain will die in a short time; but mix their 
meal or grain with a suitable proportion of cut 
straw or wood shavings, and they will thrive and 
become fat. And it is an interesting fact, that 
if horses be fed on grain alone, with the exception 
of water, for a number of days, they will instinc- 
tively gnaw the boards, or whatever woody sub- 
stance is within their reach.’ But the truth is 
equally established in respect to mankind. There 
are instances on record where fine biscuit has 
been found injurious to the health of a ship’s 
crew; while good health has been the lot of those 
who lived on the very coarsest bread. It has 
been justly observed by Knight, that bread made 
of (fine) wheat, when taken in large quantities, 
has, probably, more than any other article of food 
in use in this country, the effect of overloading 
the alimentary canal; and the general practice 
of French physicians points out the prevalence 
of diseases thence arising among their patients. 
And Dr. Beaumont observes, that a diet too nu- 
tritive is probably as fatal to the prolongation of 
health and life as that which contains an insuffi- 
cient quantity of nourishment. Dr. Prout, too, 
contends, that bread made with undressed flour, 
or even with an extra quantity of bran, is the 
best for us. 
“The gist of the matter lies in a small compass. 
While, on the one hand, we consume more than 
double—perhaps more than treble—the quantity 
of flesh meat that we ought, on the other, our 
habits in this respect are so inveterate that no 
one can or will make an entire change in them, 
and that few will attempt even the smallest al- 
teration. If, as before observed, we could be per- 
suaded to confine ourselves to animal food two or 
three days a-week, and then to one meal only, 
there would soon be less need of the physician, 
and life would be protracted beyond its present 
average duration. Nor can there be any doubt 
that the intellect is rendered clearer by a diet in 
tutions, it could not, perhaps, be adopted without 
extreme risk, by the majority amongst us,—not 
even by degrees. 
“Mr. Smith takes it for granted, that as the 
human species multiplies (at least in this coun- 
try), it will be impossible to provide animal food 
for them; we shall not be able to rear the requi- 
site number of flocks and herds, and consequently 
farms must be made to yield grain and vegetables 
only. According to him, the estimated produce 
of an acre of land is, of— 
Mutton,........ 228 lb. per year, or 10 oz. per day. 
IBYSaI Gooeemonsen. 1 eva = 8 pli 
Wheat, ........ 1,526 a 41 lb, — 
Indian Corn,. 1,100 lbs 3 poled 
Potatoes,..... 22,400 — 61 me 
“ Assuming the population of the United King- 
dom to be twenty-eight millions, and the number 
of acres in cultivation about twice that number, 
and we have two acres to each individual. 
the land were made to produce fruit, grain, and 
vegetables only, the old adage, 
‘ When every rood of ground maintained its man,’ 
would be realized, and consequently eight times 
the present population, or two hundred and 
twenty-four millions, would be supported, with- 
out any need of foreign aid. 
equally for the rich and for the poor.” 
We may observe here that all animal substances 
used as food, if heated to the temperature of boil- 
ing water in vessels from which the air is com- 
pletely excluded, may be kept in close vessels for 
fifteen years without losing even the slightest 
degree of their freshness and sound flavour. All 
putrefaction in animal substances is effected by 
the action of oxygen in the atmosphere upon azote 
in their juices; and hence the preservation of these 
substances by heating and by total exclusion from 
the atmosphere. 
ANIMAL HEAT. The caloric constantly form- 
ed by the body of a living animal, by virtue of 
which it preserves nearly the same temperature, 
whatever may be that of the medium in which 
it is placed. All those animals which possess the 
greatest variety of organized parts, and whose 
functions are the most perfect, possess the power 
of maintaining their temperature at a uniform 
standard, and one considerably above that of the 
atmosphere. The temperature of birds is the 
highest ; that of man and the mammalia is about 
98°, and these experience little alteration, except 
near the surface; while fish and reptiles possess 
what is called cold blood, being of a variable tem- 
perature, only a degree or two above that of the 
media in which they are immersed. 
The subjects of inquiry respecting animal heat, 
are, 1. What is the cause or source of it? 2. By 
what means is its uniformity preserved? To 
SS 
If | 
Here is comfort | 
