DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF CATTLE 343 



act is performed as follows: After being softened and 

 moistened by warmth the food passes from the paunch into 

 the second division — the honey comb. In this small globe- 

 like compartment the food is moistened and compressed into 

 small balls — the cud. By a peculiar reverse action of the 

 gullet these balls are taken back to the mouth to be chewed 

 over again. When the re-mastication is complete it is again 

 swallowed, but this time passes directly into the third di- 

 vision — the many-plies, and thence to the fourth or true 

 stomach. 



12. The Process of Digestion. 



Following rumination which, strictly speaking, is the 

 first step in the digesting process, the food passes into the 

 many-plies or third division. The fine parts pass right along 

 to the abomasum or fourth stomach, while the coarser parts 

 are drawn between the folds of membrane in this division 

 and worked about until it is fine and ready to pass into the 

 fourth stomach, where it becomes fully digested by the action 

 of acids and gastric juices which are secreted into this part. 

 It then passes into the small bowels, and is acted upon by 

 the bile from the liver and the pancreatic juice from the 

 pancreas. These juices are emptied into the first part of the 

 small bowels through little tubes or ducts, which lead from 

 the glands down to the bowels, just on the same principle as 

 that of the horse. After this, throughout the rest of the 

 bowels, the nourishment of the food is taken into the system 

 by means of little glands or villi which are situated in the 

 coating of the bowels. The nourishment when once in the 

 blood goes to supply the different part*? of the. body, while 

 the part containing no nourishment or undigested passes off 

 through the back bowels in the form of manure. 



III. — THE RESPIRATORY OR BREATHING ORGANS. 



These organs work on the same principle and resemble 

 in structure those of the horse, only that they are not, as a 

 general thing, so liable to diseases. 



IV. THE URINARY ORGANS. 



The chief point of difference in these organs occurs in 

 the kidneys, which in the ox are larger, and instead of being 

 smooth, like those of the horse, are rough, resembling a 



