CHAPTER IV 

 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM 



The organs that form the digestive tract are the mouth, 

 phar;)aix, oesophagus, stomach, intestines and the annexed glands, 

 viz. : the salivary, liver, and pancreas. The development of these 

 organs differs in the different species of animals. For example, 

 solipeds possess a small, simple stomach and capacious, compli- 

 cated intestines. Just the opposite is true of ruminants. The 

 different species of ruminants possess a large, complicated 

 stomach, and comparatively simple intestines. In sv^^ine we meet 

 with a more highly developed stomach than that of solipeds 

 and a more simple intestinal tract. Of all domestic animals the 

 most simple digestive tract occurs in the dog. These variations 

 in the development of the different organs of digestion, together 

 with the difference in the character of the feed and method of 

 feeding, cause a variation in the kind of diseases met with in 

 the different species. The complicated stomach of ruminants 

 predispose them to diseases of this portion of the digestive tract. 

 Because of their complicated intestinal tract solipeds are prone 

 to intestinal disease. 



DISEASES OF THE MOUTH 



General Discussion. — The mouth is the first division of the 

 digestive tract. It is formed by the lips, cheeks, palate, soft 

 palate, tongue and teeth. Here the feed is acted on mechanically. 

 It is broken up by the teeth and moved about until mixed with 

 the saliva and put into condition to pass through the pharynx and 

 along the oesophagTis to the stomach. The mechanical change 

 that the feed is subject to is very imperfect in dogs. In the 

 horse it is a slow, thorough process, although greedy feeders are 

 not uncommon. The first mastication in the ox is three times 

 quicker than in horses, but the process of rumination is slow and 

 thorough. 



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