28 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



alkalies present in the bile to form soap. Further, 

 bile stimulates the wave (peristaltic) action of the walls of 

 the intestines, which is so important in carrying the food 

 through the intestines. It also acts as an antiseptic. 



The " pancreatic juice " is secreted by the pancreas, 

 and enters the small intestines at a point close to that 

 where the bile enters. It contains three ferments, 

 and these act respectively on the albuminoids, fat and 

 carbohydrates (starch), which have not been rendered 

 soluble and diffusible by the previous ferments, 

 These are as follows : " Trypsin," which acts on albu- 

 minoids, forming peptones, etc. ; " steapsin," which acts 

 on fats, splitting up the fat into fatty acids and 

 glycerine ; " amylopsin," which acts on starch, changing 

 it into sugar (glucose). 



Intestinal Juices have a very similar action to 

 the pancreatic juice. The chief ferments present are 

 " erepsin " and " invertase." The former acts on the 

 albuminoids which have escaped the action of the 

 pancreatic juice, converting them into peptones, and 

 later, according to recent research, into amino-acids ; 

 while the latter converts the malt sugar (maltose), 

 milk sugar (lactose), etc., into grape sugar (glucose). 



IX. BACTERIAL DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION. 



Bacteria. It has been mentioned above that 

 bacteria have an important action on the food in 

 the paunch of ruminants. This process continues in 

 the large intestines. The large bowels of the horse 

 are very capacious, and here the undigested food, 

 mixed with some of the digestive juices, remains for 

 a time. At the same time bacterial activity causes 



