92 THE NATURE AND TREATMENT OF 



mouth, there is observable a deeper drawing of the flank than 

 at ordinary times. In the eyes of many, this is no more than 

 a respiratory heave — a deep inspiration ; while others contend 

 it is expiration. M. Girard, senior, thought that, through the 

 contracted condition of the diaphragm in inspiration, as well as 

 that of the abdominal muscles, rumination was set in action by 

 the stomach, thus having added to its own motions a powerful 

 concurrent force. M. Colin, however, is of a different opinion. 

 He argues, that, at the moment of repulsion, a brisk movement 

 takes place in the flank, caused by rather a deep inspiration 

 momentarily succeeded by a rapid expiration ; a movement 

 which must precede the arrival of the cud within the cervical 

 portion of the oesophagus. This theory reconciles the parti- 

 sans both of inspiration and expiration. 



" Our own inquiries into this matter, however, embracing 

 both the sensible and insensible phenomena of rumination, con- 

 tradict this opinion, since nothing like it have we discovered. 



" The rational mode of proceeding to us has appeared to be, 

 to class the agents of rumination into two orders, — an extrinsic 

 and intrinsic order. In the first category we have examined 

 into the agency of the diaphragm, the abdominal muscles, the 

 pression of the intestinal mass, the different movements and 

 attitudes of the body. In the second place, we have endeav- 

 ored to ascertain whether contractions of the stomach were to 

 be felt at any part of the abdomen, and, if so, to take this into 

 account. 



" When the cud has once entered the oesophagus it rapidly 

 travels through the canal, it being by the action of the fibres 

 of the tube (described by Stenon and Peyer) that it ascends 

 into the mouth. And in effecting this ascent of the cud, the 

 action of the fibres is not, like that of the iry;estines, an undu- 

 lating or vermiform movement, but alternate with every act of 

 rumination, by an action that comes and goes like the motion 

 of a ship, and this is continued through the entire process. 



" In all ruminants these operations may be demonstrated, 

 though it is most apparent in such as are in lean condition and 

 have long necks, such as the lama, the giraffe, and the camel ; 



