The Intestines. 25 



The large intestines of the horse are very 

 rapacious organs. The first, the caecum, is a 

 large conical pouch or bag, usually known as the 

 blind gut. In it are collected principally the 

 iluids drank, together with solid matters. The 

 former occupy the extremity, the latter remain 

 at the base. Absorption of fluids takes place 

 from the csecum in large proportion, and its con- 

 tents are usually alkaline from the changes which 

 take place in starchy constituents. 



The colon is continued next in order to the 

 csecum. It is doubled upon itself, both parts 

 throughout its entire length being united by in- 

 tervening tissue, and traverses both sides and 

 front of the abdomen twice, terminating in the 

 rectum near the point from which it arises from 

 the csecum on the right side. 



The csecum and colon do not possess such 

 thick muscular walls as the small intestines, but 

 strong bands run longitudinally on four sides. 

 These being considerably shorter than the intes- 

 tines, have the effect of drawing them into 

 puckers or folds, forming on the inner side a 

 number of pouches, which assist in giving the 

 characteristic form to the faeces or dung in the 

 horse. 



The rectum is very strong and muscular, but 

 not so capacious, tolerably cylindrical, and termi- 

 nates the alimentary track at the anus or funda- 

 ment. Absorption from the large intestines is 

 principally confined to the csecum. The colon 



