Happy Fistulated Cow Day
The above is a cow with a hole in it’s side, and Yes Virginia you can stick your hand in it. Why is this so you ask!
A fistulated cow is a cow with an intentional hole in it for scientific research. In 1822, a Canadian suffered a wound that refused to heal, but the man otherwise was in fine health. His doctor discovered that the digestive process could be observed directly through the hole. The discovery spread, and for over 150 years, fistulation has been used to observe digestive processes in living animals, with the first recorded scientific use on animals dating to 1833.
In modern days, scientists install a plastic device called a ‘cannula’ into the side or stomach of an animal which allows them access to the various organs. In the case of the Davis fistulated cows, they observe how fast the cow digests various foods and what chemical/biological processes the food undergoes.
More on Cow Fisting
This post best fits the Misc category of the blog better than any other.
Josh Smith is a blogger, database manager and adjunct professor of business and technology. 
