Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-06-22
Rationale Of Chewing the Cud in Ru-
minatinr Animals.


On rAce CS Of tie Gsness~e Farmer, for
February, 1900, our correspondent, Z. H.,
asks, What causes cattle to lose the eud,
and what ), :ho las, remedy Similar qucs.
iion, are frequently asked, and much disease
Of our nsa, stock is attributed to ,hi. Gloss
Of eui"
Literally, there can be no such thing as
'lOss Of cud." Illuminating animals are
never furnished with an arpcndago 50 ride
ulou' as " eud. ;" to be used as gum" in
the mouth Of ,choolhOy. which, II lost,
mus, be supplied with an artificial" " cud !"
as Il the operation, Of na,ur, mus, hc sus-
pended until this prepared artificial pana.
esa is supplied, 70 tlkO the place Of a us,u.
raj " eud. lost"
by slight investigation Of tho anatomy
aud habits Of rumlnatins animals, this very
common delu,ion would be di'pelled, and
the 'ligh; understanding Of the " cud, )" the
cause. Of it, " loss, 4" and the means neees.
sary to Ne u'cd to restore it, would be more
clearly understood.
By rumiuants. or ruminating animals. We
mean those having a complex stomach, with
four cavities - disposed a. to allow OF ru.
nina,in.. Or the &C, Of a, once laying in
largo store Of food, slightly ehSwed, and AZ.
,erWard to return it TO the mouth, aud there
more thoroughly mastica,e il. and 6, ]; for
digestion. Digestion is always preceded by
this action in this order OF Mammals. and
they are exclusively confined to vegetable
diet Now, u debility. los, Of appetite.
disease Of Ihs stomach and digestive organs,
or sickness from any other cause ensus. this
order Of nature NAV. for the time, h. sus.
pended, ard the animal no nccd 20 perform
the act Of rumiaation. Tho ordinary ope.
raiion' Of healthy animal are no, called
into rslu,.i,ion. Hence We hear Of "lo.s
0i eul.' The only rcnely' Tor this
'' loss" lies in restoring th, animal to
health. and Il we know ~ha, i, III, dissss-.
We can the more certainly apply the rem
cly." Bot AL the " made cld." that ever
entered into the nateria msjica Of quack-
dom can ever compensate for the folly and
ignorance Of applying one.
Tho stomach Of rumina,lnc animals j, -.
psSially organized Tor the performances Of
it, peculiar functions. Il, consists Of four
dis,ine, cavities, all connunica,in: with
muscular canal. at the termination Of the
Ae'ophasu'. Coar-cly ma'iisat.i TODD pa.-
e. iron the beginning Of the muscular cl-
nal into the fr', cavity, called the rumcn,
or paunch. Water {, received into the scc.
oni cavity. called the rc,iculum, and almo.,
exclusively occupie. ,hS honsy.c5nb cells Of
that cavity, aud i'grliuAlly mixed with the
e1ar-ely divided food which i' uni,rcoin:
masucA,ion in the rumcn When this {.
sufficiently advanced, portion OF the mass
d, raised into the muscular canal, i. there
moulded into a ball, and by a ,p4smolic ac-
ton Of ibc muscles Of the sullgi. i, forced
into the mouth where it d. perfectly ma,ii. .
Gated a, leisure. mixed With saliva, and
again swallowed. IL now pas.ss directly
into the third recess. called the pal,srium .
Here the suPerauou, auil !, absorbed, and
;hs thoroughly subliyiIed mass passes grad .
uaily into the fourth recess. called the abo.
mA,as, whore it D, completely disc.ted, and I
from which d, pas'., oiT into the Lesser in.
tss,ines
Illuminating i' a mos, interesting process
Of nature. and It j. mos, pleasing study to
observe and note il, manifold operations.
and TO witness the supreme satisfaction Of
well icl animal, ''ruuinatinc." or elablra-
tins BY ihi, wonderful provision Of Proyi.
dsncc the ma,ticaiiou Of TODD BY deslu,i.
zion, ,jecu0n, and hnal swalIoviug-other.
wise. " chewing tie eul" when No be-
esuO more thoroughly familiar with th.
beautiful economy " animated nature, and
IL, moe, wonderful orsani,ation, We shall
no more hear Of the e" loss Of cud, " but
will attrihnte egee,. to their proper causes,
and call things by their ri:h, names.
lGenc-es y. Y. Farmer.