DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 309 



the minute absorbents whose office it is to take up the 

 digested particles of food, in the form of chyle, and trans- 

 fer them to the general circulation. While this coating 

 lines the entire inner surface of the intestines, not more 

 than one-third of that of the stomach is similarly provided, 

 there being in the latter only a small patch of it, no larger 

 than the two hands would cover, in the upper part, near 

 the esophagus. 



Though apparently free from bilious disorders, the horse 

 is frequently a sufferer from various derangements of the 

 digestive functions, some of which are liable to assume 

 the gravest character quite suddenly. The simplest and 

 least hurtful of these is 



SOUR STOMACH. 



The purely vegetable food of the horse, in the mouth re^ 

 ceives an imperfect mastication, with a merely partial moists 

 ening from the saliva; and in this condition it passes 

 through the esophagus, or "swallow," to the stomach, 

 where it is shut in above by the closing of the esophagus, 

 and below by that of the pylorus — literally the door-keepers — 

 which is the outlet to the alimentary canal. Here the crude 

 material, greatly thinned by the quantity of water drank, 

 is softened down into a pulpy mass called chyme, to allow 

 whose passage into the small intestines, the pylorus, at the 

 proper time, relaxes, and soon the. stomach will be clamor- 

 ing for more food. 



"When, the animal is in sound health, this process goes 

 on with perfect regularity and comfort; but, unfortunately, 

 such is not always his condition. Irritation and undue 

 heat often occur in the stomach, producing fermentation or 

 sourness of its contents. He is likely, indeed, to bring 

 about these uncomfortable results at any time, by eating 

 either improper or too much food. It is in some disturb- 

 ance or other of digestion that the prime cause may be 

 found of the diseases, not only of the stomach itself, but 

 likewise of those of the bowels; and, hence, also, the for- 



