Methods of experimentation in animal nutrition

Extract

In a recent article on the above subject by Dunlop (1) reference was made to a method suggested by Sheehy and Senior (2) for the purpose of “making an adjustment in tlie weight cuive, where, through accident or other cause not arising out of feeding, the weight of a particular animal on an exceptional occasion deviated widely from the general trend of its live weight record. A slight injury, for instance, would on occasion cause an animal either to lose weight or merely to maintain its previous weight for a week, thus placing the group to which it belonged at a disadvantage during that week” (2). Since Dunlop asserts that the method suggested “is based on a fallacy” by which is implied that it is inaccurate, the necessity arises, so as to prevent the formation of a wrong impression, to show that Dunlop's reasoning in this connection is based on incorrect impressions.