144 THE HORSE 



may bear some relation to the fact that vomission but 

 rarely occurs in the horse. 



The spleen is attached to the stomach externally by a 

 ligament. 



Digestion, to a large extent, takes place in the stomach, 

 but to a greater extent in the small intestines. 



The total extent of the intestines in a horse is about 

 120 ft., 70 of which is comprised in the small intestine. 

 These extend from the outlet of the stomach to the 

 caecum. The large intestine is divisible into the double 

 colon, the single colon, and the caecum, the latter being a 

 blind portion of the intestine. The double colon has a 

 capacity of about twenty or thirty gallons, and its length 

 is about twenty feet, therefore in order that the abdominal 

 cavity may accommodate this huge structure the double 

 colon is flexed or bent over upon itself. 



The intestines, like the stomach, are composed of three 

 coats, namely, an outer, or serous ; a middle, or muscular ; 

 and an inner, or mucous. The digestive and mucous 

 glands are situated in the latter. 



All the digestive organs have a rich blood supply, 

 nerve supply, and in addition absorbent or lymphatic 

 glands. 



The liver is large and situated on the right side of the 

 body on a level with the last three or four ribs. Like the 

 rest of the abdominal viscera it has a capsular invest- 

 ment or serous covering, together with ligamentous 

 attachments which maintain it in position in the cavity. 

 It is composed of liver cells, connective tissue, blood- 

 vessels, and bile ducts. The bile ducts open into the 

 duodenum, which is comprised in the first two feet of the 

 small intestine. The liver acts as a store-house for starch 

 and for the manufacture of bile, the functions of the latter 

 being indispensable in assisting and completing the various 

 digestive processes. 



The pancreas, popularly known as the sweetbread, is a 

 secreting gland for the manufacture of the pancreatic 



