I208 



Rural School Leaflet 



food . 



stj^ns 



Mucous membrane of the abomasuni, or fourth compartment 



finj^erlike processes called paj^ilL-c. After the animal has finished eating, 

 the food in the rumen is divided into parts large enough to be 



returned through the esophagus to the 

 mouth. These are the cuds. 



The second chewing, or mastication, of the 

 food is more complete than the first. The 

 time taken for a portion of the food to leave 

 the rumen, be remasticated, and returned to 

 the stomach, is about one minute. It is 

 estimated that the cow spends seven hours 



a day nmiinating the 



One of the first 



of sickness in a 



cow is the absence of 



rumination. 



After the second mas- 

 tication of the food, and 

 when it is well mixed with the saliva, or mouth fluid, it is again swal- 

 lowed and instead of passing to the nimen, it enters tlic esophageal 

 groove. In going through this muscular canal, tlic fluid part passes to 

 the reticuhun and the solid part to the omasum. 



The reticulimi is the smallest of the four compartments of the stomach. 

 It opens through the esophageal groove into l^oth the nmicn and the 

 omasum. The inner lining of the reticulum is arranged like tlie cells of 

 a honeycomb. Each cell is about one-half an inch across and has from 

 four to six sides. It is in the cells of the reticular part of the stomach that 

 foreign bodies, such as small stones, nails, pieces of wire, and the like, arc 

 deposited. Occasionally sharp-pointed foreign bodies work their way 

 through the wall of the reticulum, and, on account of the nearness of the 

 reticulum to the heart, enter the heart and cause the death of the 

 animal. 



The omastun, or third compartment, receives the solid ]:)arts of the food 

 after the second mastication. The inner mucous layer of the omasum is 

 made up of about one hundred leaves, var^nng in width from one to ten 

 inches. They are arranged as follows: a large leaf is followed b}- otic of 

 the smallest; then comes a mediimi-sized leaf followed again by one of 

 the smallest; then comes a large leaf again; and so on. Both sides of the 

 leaves are covered with small rounded projections about the size of a 

 millet seed. This gives to each leaf the appearance of a piece of sandpaper. 

 It is between these leaves that the food receives its final grinding, before 

 it is passed into the true digestive part of the stomach. 



When the food has been divided into very small particles, it is passed 



