THE HORSE. 



&9 



their distention and alteration in figure. 

 On the other hand, it is more adherent as 

 it extends over the free surface or margin 

 of the various parts it is in contact with. 



The peritoneum being considered as ex- 

 tending from the umbilicus over the ab- 

 dominal parietes towards the median line 

 of the diaphragm and spine, is found there 

 to fold on itself, and proceed from the latter 

 on to the intestine, forming the mesenters ; 

 and from the former on to the liver and 

 stomach, constituting ligaments. These 

 folds of peritoneum are also seen extending 

 from organs to other parts of the abdominal 

 parietes, and these also constitute ligaments. 

 Then they may be traced from one organ 

 to another, giving rise to the several omenta ; 

 all of which we shall more especially allude 

 to as we speak of the peritoneal coat of 

 each separate viscus. 



STOMACH. 



The stomach is the dilated portion of 

 the alimentary canal, intermediate between 

 the oesophagus and small intestine: through 

 the former it receives the ingested aliment, 

 for which it acts as a reservoir during the 

 process of chymification, the active agent 

 in which is the gastric secretion. 



In the horse, as well as all other soli- 

 pedes, this viscus is exceptional in not being 

 the most capacious dilatation of the alimen- 

 tary canal. M. Colin, in a paper published 

 in the Recueil de Medecine Veterinaire 

 Pratique for June., 1849, states that the 

 capacity of the horse's stomach is very 

 variable. He says, that in a very small 

 horse he found it only nine quarts (accord- 

 ing to his evaluation by litre, which may 

 be considered as thirty -four fluid ounces), 

 while in one of colossal dimensions it was 

 as much as 33 3-4 quarts, both having died 

 at the college (Alfort) infirmary. He gives 

 the average as being from 13 7-20 quarts 

 to 14 3-5. Then, considering the capacity 

 of the stomach in relation with that of the 

 intestines, he found it in a very small horse 

 as one to thirteen, while in other two cases 

 it was as one to ten. He takes the latter 



as the standard relative capacity between 

 the two. 



The stomach is situated transversely to 

 the long axis of the body, in the left hypo- 

 chondrium, extending into the epigastrium 

 and during repletion into the right hypocon- 

 driac region. However, its size and situa- 

 tion vary under different circumstances, as 

 to whether it be full or empty, adapting 

 itself generally to its contents. 



The stomach is fixed on its left side to 

 the diaphgram by the oesophagus, having 

 the spleen attached to it as well. The 

 duodenum then, by means of the lesser or 

 gastro-hepatic omentum, suspends the 

 pyloric end by getting attached to the con- 

 cave surface of the liver. 



The shape of the stomach might be ex- 

 pressed as being that of a tube bent on 

 itself, and dilated along its convex border, 

 so as to form two cul-de-sacs ; i. e., a right 

 and a left one, whilst it has two borders or 

 curvatures, distinguished as a lesser concave 

 and a greater convex one. The stomach 

 has two smooth surfaces, the anterior one 

 being in contact with the liver and dia- 

 phragm, whilst the posterior one corresponds 

 to the convolutions of the small intestines 

 and gastric flexture of the colon. It has 

 two orifices, i. e., a left oesophageal, or com- 

 monly called cardiac, and a right intestinal 

 or pyloric one ; the latter taking its name 

 from the valve by which it is guarded. 



A circular depression round the stomach, 

 midway between the cardiac and pyloric 

 orifices, most visible when the organ is 

 replete, marks the external division of the 

 stomach into a cardiac and pyloric portion, 

 corresponding with the point where the 

 mucuous membrane varies in character in- 

 ternally. The sacular projection at the 

 cardiac portion takes the name of fundus, 

 owing to its greater magnitude as compared 

 with a smaller cul-de-sac at the pyloric end, 

 the analogue of which in human anatomy 

 is characterized by the appellation of antrum 

 pylori. 



Having thus briefly described the striking 

 peculiarities of the stomach, I proceed 



