THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HORSE 145 



fluid — a fluid intimately associated with digestion. The 

 duct of this gland opens into the beginning of the small 

 intestine and conveys the fluid secreted into the latter. 

 This completes the description of the digestive organs. 



The Urinary and Generative Organs 



The urinary apparatus comprises the right and left 

 kidneys plus their capsular coverings, the ureters or tubes 

 conveying the urine from the kidneys to the bladder, the 

 latter being a reservoir for the temporary storage of the 

 urine, from which organ the urethra conveys the fluid 

 outside the body. In the mare the urethra is short and 

 straight, but much longer in the male. The kidneys are 

 situated beneath the loins, and their functions are to 

 separate the waste products of the blood and excrete it as 

 urine. The whole of the urinary apparatus occupies a 

 very sheltered position in the anatomy, but in spite of 

 this portions of it are sometimes implicated in injuries to 

 the loins, pelvis, etc., whilst those organs are also, and 

 not uncommonly, affected by diseases. 



The generative organs in the female comprise the 

 mammary gland, the external generative organ, the 

 fallopian tubes, and ovaries. The male organs consist of 

 the testicles and the spermatic cord, along with the ex- 

 ternal generative organ. Like a portion of the urinary 

 apparatus, part of the generative organs are contained 

 in the pelvic cavity, i.e. the area within the pelvis. 

 Diseases and injuries commonly affect both these systems, 

 and always demand professional skill in dealing with them. 



