THE IXTESTINES. ' 381 



Indigestion is the most frequent. Many other aihnents of the 

 horse have their origin in the stomach. 



THE INTESTINES. 



The intestines constitute that part of the channel which ex- 

 tends from the stomach to the outlet behind. They are nat- 

 urally divided into the small and large intestines, the whole 

 length of both being about ninety-three feet. The structure 

 of the intestines is similar to that of the stomach. They are 

 comjDosed of three coats. The outer is an envelope of perito- 

 neum. The middle is a muscular coat. The internal is the 

 mucous coat. 



The small intestine commences at the termination of the 

 stomach. The first part, which is about two feet long, is 

 called the duodenum. It is the largest part of the small intes- 

 tine. About five or six inches back from its commencement, 

 the ducts from the liver and pancreas enter it. This gut is 

 sometimes called the second stomach. It is well fixed in its 

 position. It forms a large curve round to the right, and ends 

 on the left side of the spine, in the second division, or jejunum. 



The ■jejunum is the next division of the small intestine. It 

 embraces two-fifths of what is left of the small gut. The food 

 passes rapidly through it. It is generally found empty, from 

 which it takes its name. 



The ileum is the last and longest part of the small gut. It 

 terminates by entering into the ccecum, or blind gut. Its end 

 is shut by a valve which allows the contents of the ileum to 

 pass into the caecum, but nothing to pass back. 



The small intestines are abundantly supplied with blood- 

 vessels, and have a great number of glands opening into them, 

 whose office is to take up the digested food, or chyle, and carry 

 it into the blood. After the food has passed about five or six 

 inches into the gut, it is mixed with the bile and another fluid 

 from the pancreas. The chyme then commences to separate into 

 two parti^, the one being of a thick, white character, and called 



