THE ANATOMY OF THE OX. 53 



After having been chewed for the second time, the food is then 

 again swallowed, and a portion of it now passes into the rumen, 

 the rest down the oesophageal canal to the manyplies. Here 

 the solid material is drawn between the leaves of that organ, 

 while the liquid portion flows on to the aboraasum. Then the 

 digestive material is at length passed into the intestinal canal. 



We must bear in mind that rumination, or chewing the cud, 

 is entirely under the control of the will, and that it is a process 

 which may very easily be disturbed. Hence great care should 

 be taken not to interfere with an ox or a sheep when reclining 

 and engaged in calmly chewing the cud. 



In the winter time some owners of stock have their beasts 

 inspected at about half-past 8 o'clock, and they are often made 

 to stand up in order that it may be seen if they stretch them- 

 selves or not, the fact of them stretching themselves being con- 

 sidered sufficient evidence that they are well. However, it is 

 important to remember that one of the best signs of health is 

 the chewing of the cud. 



The processes of digestion comprise all those changes whereby 

 the nutriment is extracted from the food and rendered capable 

 of absorption. The food, while it remains in the stomach, is 

 subjected to slow movement as a result of the muscular motion 

 of that organ. As it is gradually rolled about, the mass of 

 food is rendered partly soluble by slow degrees at its surface. 

 During the process of digestion the mucous surface of the 

 stomach is more fredy supplied with blood and changed from 

 its usual pale hue to a bright red colour. The food is trans- 

 formed into chyme in the stomach, and this semi-fluid material 

 accumulates at the pyloric'^ orifice. This, then, opens and allows 

 the chyme to escape into ihe small intestines into which the 

 bile also flows. Here it indergoes further change, and the 

 soluble ingredients are absorbed by the blood-vessels and 

 lacteais in the walls of the inte&^inal canal. 



The lips of the ox are thicl and rigid, and only slightly 

 mobile and prehensile. A large ]^ortion of the outer and front 

 part of the upper lip, including the part between the nasal 

 openings, is devoid of hair, and it constitutes the muzzle. It 

 varies in colour, but in healthy animals it is always moist. It 

 is covered with papillae and with the orifices of the ducts of 

 the subcutaneous glands which moisten it by means of their 



