28 THE ARMY HORSE IN ACCIDENT AND DISEASE. 



except the teeth. The lips are the organs of touch as well as of j»(- 

 Jiension (picking up). The soft palate is a curtain suspended between 

 the mouth and the pharynx, attached above to the palatini arch (the 

 back j)art of th<^ hard palate); the lower border is free antl rests on 

 the floor of the pharynx. Owing to the great size of this curtain, 

 the horse is unable to breathe through his mouth. 



The tongue is a movable muscular organ, situated on the floor of 

 the mouth between the branches of the lower jaw. It is the special 

 organ of taste and at the same time assists in mastication. 



The pharynx has been previously described. 



The esophagus, or gullet, is a muscular tube connecting the })harynx 

 to tlie stomach. 



The stomach is a ])ear-shaped organ situated in the abdominal 

 cavity, close to the cHaphragm. Its internal, or mucous, coat is 

 divided into right and left portions, the left is the cuticular portion 

 and is continuous with the mucous membrane of the esophagus, 

 which it resembles in structure antl appearance, being of a pale white 

 color. The right jiortion, the mUous, or true digestive coat, is rethUsh 

 in color, soft, v^ry vascular (filled with blood vessels) and velvety 

 looking; it c<mtains the peptic glands which secrete gastric juice. 



The capacity of the stomach of the horse (from 3 to 3^ gallons) is 

 small in proi)ortion to his size. 



The intestines are divided into laige and small. The small intes- 

 tines are continuous with the sti)mach, rather more than an inch in 

 diameter and about 72 feet in length. The large intestines, measur- 

 ing about 22 feet in length, extend from the termination of the small 

 intestines to the anus, and may be regarded as consisting of four ])arts, 

 the Ccccuni, great colon, floating colon, and the rectum. 



Tiie membranous lining of the intestines is covered ^itli small pro- 

 jections called villi, which absorb the nourishing })arts of the food. 

 The villi are more numerous in the small intesines than in the large. 



The intestines are supported throughout their entire length by 

 strong bands of fibrous tissue (the mesentery) extending from the 

 backbone. The mesentery is a part of the peritoneum. 



The anus is the posterior opening of the alimentary canal and lies 

 below the root of the tail. It forms a round projection, which 

 becomes less prominent with age. 



The liver is the largest secreting organ in the body, weighing from 

 10 to 12 pounds. It is situated immediately behind the diaphragm 

 and in front of the stomach. The liver secretes a fluid, called bile or 

 gall, which is emptied directly into the small intestines, as the horse is 

 not provided with a gall bladder. 



The pancreas (sweetbread) is situated behind the stomach and in 

 front of the kidneys. It is of reddish cream color, and weighs about 



