THE PERITOXEUM. 383 



The rectum, or last gut, does not vary much in size from 

 the straight colon, of which it is a continuation. It is drawn 

 into the same sort of puckers as the colon. These pouches 

 form the dung-balls. The rectum terminates at the anus. Its 

 back portion is surrounded by a broad, strong muscle, by which 

 it is closed firmly, and only relaxed by the combined force of 

 the contents of the gut being pressed against it and by the 

 will of the animal. 



The office of the rectum is to retain the indigestible parts of 

 the food, and such worn-out matter of the system as is thrown 

 into the bowels, until a sufficient quantity has collected, when, 

 by the action of the diaphragm and muscles of the belly, it is 

 thrown out as dung, or foeces. 



The bowels are the seat of many diseases, which it is not 

 necessary to particularize here. They are fully considered 

 in the part of the work treating of diseases. The proper 

 care of the horse's digestive system is of the utmost import- 

 ance. Improper and unsound food thrown into the stomach 

 of the horse can not fail to do mischief. So of the habit 

 of feeding and watering when the horse is very hungry, or 

 fatigued, or hot,- Avhen he will certainly gorge his feed down, 

 and drink more than the wants of the system require. I 

 believe it might be safely calculated that by injudicious 

 feeding and watering an average of five years on the life- 

 time of our horses is lost. Keep the horse's stomach and 

 bowels healthy by intelligent and judicious feeding, and he 

 will seldom need medicine, and, what is quite as fortunate, 

 will hardly ever lie down and die of any of those quick dis- 

 eases which destroy so jnany horses in the very prime of 

 their age and usefulness. 



THE PERITONEUM. 



This is a thin, glistening membrane, which lines the in- 

 side of the cavity of the abodmen, and folds of which are 

 thrown around all the different parts contained within the 



