60 THE VETERINARY 5CIENCE 



from the stomach, in the bowels, are found two openings. 

 One of these receives the hepatic duct, a tube used to carry 

 the bile from the liver to be poured in on the food as it passes 

 through the bowels. The other hole is for the duct of the 

 gland known as the pancreas. It secretes a clear fluid known 

 as the pancreatic juice. These juices act on the food in the 

 first part of the small bowels, changing it into chyle. After 

 this, the action of the rest of the bowels is to absorb the 

 nourishment out of the food as it is passing back. The small 

 bowels and stomach, when in a healthy condition, should be 

 found empty one hour after food has been eaten. The small 

 bowels are situated mostly on the left side just behind the 

 stomach. 



The large bowels have three coats the same as the small 

 ones. The first part of the large bowels is known as the 

 blind bowel and is about three feet long ; this is generally the 

 first thing to fly out in opening a horse's belly. Its use is 

 to act as a reservoir to hold the water and fluid parts of the 

 food ; from this organ the water and fluid parts are mostly 

 taken up into the system. The next part of the large bowels 

 is known as the large colon ; it lays along the floor of the 

 belly, is about nine feet long, and is doubled on itself three 

 times. In this bowel the solid part of the food is found. 

 Here it is worked about by the contraction and expansion of 

 the muscles of the bowel and the nourishment taken from it, 

 after which it is worked back out of this bowel and enters 

 what is known as the floating colon. This is about ten feet 

 long and about two inches in diameter, or double the size of 

 the small bowel. It is thrown into folds or pleats, and as 

 that portion of the food containing no nourishment passes 

 through it is worked into balls which pass back and are 

 emptied into the rectum or back bowel. This part is situated 

 at the back part of the belly and pelvic cavity behind the- 

 small bowels and like them is suspended by a sheet or fold 

 to the backbones. 



The Rectum or Back Bowel is sometimes known as the 

 straight bowel. It is about eighteen inches long and forms 

 the last part of the intestines. Its coats are a continuation 

 of those of the large bowel but each is thicker and heavier. 

 Above this bowel are the bones of the rump, below it, in the 

 horse, the bladder and other small glands. Below the rectum 

 of the mare are situated the womb and the vagina, the latter 



