DISEASES OF THE HOG. 33 



other portions, while the secretions from the oeso- 

 phageal portion are free from ferment. It is found 

 that the conversion of starch into sugar continues 

 in the stomach of the pig, as the food remains alk- 

 aline in the cardiac end; but as the food moves on 

 and comes in contact with the acid gastric juice 

 it ceases. The saliva of the pig is very active, and 

 its action continuing after it has reached the stom- 

 ach gives the pig very great power of digesting 

 starchy food, and on this account the pig takes 

 on fat more rapidly than other animals, while be- 

 ing fed on cereals, especially corn. It has been 

 noted by experiment that flesh takes a much long- 

 er time to digest in the stomach of the pig than 

 it does in that of carnivora. The pig does not 

 masticate vegetable matters as well as herbivor- 

 ous animals, so that they are less constituted for 

 the extraction of nutritive principles from it; 

 therefore, although meat and vegetables are use- 

 ful as articles of diet, they are not so profitable for 

 feeding purposes as grain. It is claimed that tlie 

 pig is capable of digesting fully fifty per cent of 

 cellulose. Figure 140. The intestines in general 

 resemble those of the ruminent The caecum re- 

 sembles that of the horse. The intestines are not 

 nearly so sensitive and therefore are not nearly so 

 liable to disease as those of the horse; they are 

 short and the absorbent glands are numerous and 

 active. 



