78 A MANUAL ON THE HOG. 



blood, and supply the waste in it. These intestines are of 

 equal diameter, in the pig, throughout their whole extent, 

 and the termination of the jejunum and commencement of 

 ileum is by no means distinctly defined ; the latter is, how- 

 ever, longer than the former, and opens into 



THE CQECUM, 



with a valvular opening close to the aperture into the colon. 

 The ccecum is a kind of bag supplied with numerous secre- 

 tory glands, which furnish it with a fluid which once more 

 acts upon those portions of the digested food which reach 

 it, extracting from them any nutritive portions which may 

 still chance to remain. 



"The matter having reached the base of this intestine, is 

 returned by the muscular action of its coat, and, being 

 prevented by the valve from re-entering the ileum, passes 

 into 



THE COLON, 



the largest of the large intestines, some of the convolutions 

 of which equal the stomach in size, while others are 

 as small as the small intestines. Here the watery 

 parts of the mass are extracted, and the residuum, or hard, 

 fcecal portion is retained for a while, and finally expelled 

 through the rectum"* 



THE LIVER. 



" This organ * * * is situated in the anterior part of the 

 abdomen, and its upper service rests against the concavity 

 of the diaphragm. Its office is, to receive the blood that is 

 returned from the intestines, separate from it and secrete, 

 the fluid termed bile, and then forward the residue of the 

 blood onwards to the lungs, where it undergoes the usual 

 aerating process, and becomes transmuted into arterial blood. 

 The fluid, or bile, thus secreted, when in a healthy state, 

 and not in undue proportion, stimulates the mucous mem- 



"Youatt. 



