Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 50.djvu/822

800 equal quantities of solid food and milk at six o'clock in the evening. The alcohol is thoroughly mixed with this meal. In the morning, each is given half a Spratt biscuit. This forms the staple diet, but is generously fortified with good meat, both raw and cooked, and plenty of good gnawing bones.

A large, sunny yard, kept clean; a good, dry kennel, and good kennel hygiene, including frequent disinfection; clean, cool water, three times a day in hot weather; dry beds with plenty of clean straw and sawdust; careful and regular attention to parasites, both internal and external—all these things have conspired to render the experiment thus far physiologically ideal.

The dogs were weighed, always before their breakfast, at first daily; later, every week. Their respective lines in Fig. 7 tell the story of their growth at a glance. Until nine months of age. Bum remains heavier than Nig. Topsy is evidently destined to be a much smaller dog than her sister. February 31, 1807, they weighed as follows:

Both the alcoholics are thus seen to be a little lighter than their controls, 5·4 per cert. This does give a small margin in favor of the normal animals, but it is doubtful whether four puppies would be found to grow under normal conditions more uniformly and come out more evenly at the end of two years. It would certainly be straining a point to claim any "stunting" effect of alcohol administered as above described.

For the general setting of the experiment, it only remains for me to add that, barring the accidental death of Topsy, and a trifling exception in Bum's case, the health of all the dogs has been perfect from the beginning of the experiment up to the present. Tipsy and Bum have not always eaten all that was offered