Note 76 — Chapter XV · THE NATURAL DIET.[68]

It has been observed that cows are temporarily affected adversely by any change from their established diet—give less milk, at first, when grain is added to their pasture rations, as well as when they are deprived of an accustomed feed of grain. “The effect is due to the action of the stomach, to adapt its character to the digestion of an established food. The food may change suddenly, but the action of the stomach can only change slowly, and hence defective digestion follows.”—(National Live Stock Journal). With humans, as has been already remarked, a change from a very unwholesome to the purest system of diet may, at first, result in defective digestion; but if the change be made discreetly the final result will assuredly be as satisfactory as that which follows a favorable modification of the cow’s diet.