THE ANATOMY OF THE HORSE 



CHAPTER XVII 



CLASSIFICATION OP THE VARIOUS ORGANS, AND PHYSIOLOGY OP THE SKELETON 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE VAKIOrS ORGANS — OF THE STRVCTUEE OF BONE — OF THE SKELETON 

 IN GENERAL — THE ARTIFICIAL SKELETON— NUMBER OF BONES COMPOSING THE SKELETON 

 — GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE SPINAL COLUMN — OF THE HEAD AND FACE AND OF THE 

 HTOID ARCH — OF THE THORACIC ARCH AND ANTERIOR EXTREMITIES — OF THE PELVIC 

 ARCH AND HIND EXTREMITIES— THE TAIL — THE FORE AND HIND EXTREMITIES 

 CONSIDERED AS ORGANS OF LOCOMOTION. 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE VARIOUS ORGANS 



The body op the Horse, like all the vertebrate animals, may be con- 

 sidered as made up of several distinct apparatuses or systems. Of these, the 

 first is a machine composed of the bony skeleton, or framework, the various 

 parts of which are united by joints and moved by muscles. Secondh/, there 

 are contained within the thorax the organs which supply the whole body with 

 the means of nutrition in the form of blood, and purify this fluid. Thirdly^ 

 in the abdomen are presented to view the important organs which assimilate 

 the food to the condition of the blood ; while in the adjoining cavity, the 

 pelvis, are the urinary and generative apparatuses. Fourthly, the nervous 

 system may be considered, as comprising the gi'and centre of the mental 

 faculties, and, also, as presiding over and controlling the whole of the 

 functions performed by the several organs ; and fifthly, certain special 

 organs, as, for example, those of sense, and likewise the foot, will complete 

 flie Avhole circle of systems to be reviewed. Each of these groups will, 

 therefore, be described in a separate chapter. 



OF THE STRUCTURE OF BONE 



The bones are composed of a tissue peculiar to them, enveloped by a 

 membrane, t\\Q periosteum. They contain a semi-fluid of a fatty nature, the 

 viarroiL\ and are pierced in various directions by blood-vessels and nerves. 



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