The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-10-30
Why Salt is Beneficial to Live stock.

1t is not generally fully understood
why salt is given to live stock, or why
it is in any way advantageous when
given. After food is taken into the
stomach, there is, ut once, 3 race set
up by the digestive powers and tho
natural tendency to fermentation COM
mon to all articles used as food when
placed under the influence of warmth
and moisture. If the digestive powers
are vigorous, and the food taken is
within the limit of the powers of the
stomach to at once set up the con-
verting process, and continue this with
such vigor as to intercept the ferment-
i've process, then the natural powers
are equal to every emergency, and
condiments may be said not to be
needed. If the digestive process goes
on with full force, this condition leads
us to infer that no artificial aid is needed
from salt or anything else; for at best
it should only be considered an ar
tifcial aid to digestion.
Salt preserves from decay by pre-
venting the fermentive process, whether
this be tested within the stomach, or
by packing meat or other articles in
this material in the usual manner.
This power to prevent fermentation
after food is taken, prolongs the time
III WHICH, A1C CbOLndCn HAS OpkAJA
to complete the digestive process, and
hence BY the use of this article, food
taken in excess may be got rid of with
out present apparent harm. l say
present apparent harm, because all
such occurrences are an overtax upon
digestion, and time is required
to regain the former tone. AS
a collaboration with salt, l would mem
ton here that glycerine is of late found
to have a power, and by no means an
uncertain one. to prevent fermentation
taken soon after partaking of food. L
would therefore suggest that in the
case of young stock, calves, or pigs
during the first process of artificial
feeding, both salt and glycerine, given
together or separate, be used mod
erately in case there be the slightest
evidence of indigestion, or if we have
reason to suspect that at any time too
much food has been taken. Glycerine
enters into some of the best cOmbina-
tons in use for. preventing decay in
meats and other perishable articles OF
food It's use upon human sub: ects
proves its great power in preventing
the tendency to fermentation above
referred to. This, with young calves
is a common cause of securing; and
venture the opinion that a skiIltul use
of the combination named would lessen
our trials with the digestive apparatus
of young calves. Glycerine at thirty
cents per pound, will be found to be
a good investment, when its aid is
required.
The liability to fermentation when
stock is upon a full supply of grass
is greater than when they are upon dry
food as usually given, and salt should
be within reach at all times. When
the fermentive process is set up in the
| stomach and intestines, there is a de-
mand created for some corrective. and
an mails so disturbed will eat earth
with avidity; this acts as an absorbent,
and in a slight degree neutralizes acid
| generated in the fermentive process.
| Careful observation will show that when
any disturbance occurs in the digestive
organs of the kind referred to, animals
so affected will eat salt if it is placed
within their reach; and it is better to
| leave Nature to seek the remedy, when
| needed, than to give at stated intervals
| free portions of an article which is
mainly of use, as stated, to meet specific
| indications. Authorities speak of salt
as a good laxative, but when cattle are
| on grass, they need no laxative. In
fact they rarely do at any season of the
wear. Yet when the full laxative effect
| of any article is needed, it can be had
| by giving pound of salt, the irritating
! effect upon the mucous lining of the
| intestinal tract likely to follow being
prevented or abated by giving a some-
| what liberal portion of water with the
| salt. And it is true of the article
named as of common salts, so often
| given as a purgative, that the larger
the amount of water given in con-
nection, the less of the other article is
required to produce a certain laxative
effect.
The fermentation occurring in the
| digestive apparatus is favorable to the
existence Of worms in the intestinal
| canal of animals, even if they are not
engendered by this process. The
| cattle of Brazil are said to be quite
subject to internal parasites, and the
| owners of herds have since learned that
salt is obnoxious to these intruders;
hence they give, twice year, a pound
of salt to each animal, after which a
manifest improvement takes place, and
for a time there is an absence of the
worms. 1t would undoubtedly be
better to maintain a condition of the
| internal parts antagOnistic to the para
sites, by keeping salt within reach of
the stock at all times, rather than to
| purge the worms out of them twice a
| wear, leaving a condition to follow at
once in every way favorable to their
re-appearance. These thoughts do
| not apply alone to Brazil, but with
| equal force to our own country and
| live stOck-Ndtt071GJ LiVe Stock
| Journal.