A MANUAL ON THE HOG. 79 



brane, and increases the peristaltic (spiral) motion of the 

 intestines, excites the secretion of that mucus requisite to 

 preserue these parts in a healthy state, hastens the process 

 of separating the nutritious from the innutritious parts of 

 the food, and facilitates the escape of the fcecal matters. It 

 also acts chemically upon the various substances which are 

 devoured by the animal, and is the chief agent in neutral- 

 izing the acidity which some of these would otherwise 

 create. The liver of the pig has four distinct lobes." * 



THE SPLEEN. 



" In the hog the spleen (milt) is very long, and nearly of a 

 uniform breadth and thickness throughout its whole extent. 

 It lies on the left side of the abdomen, and is attached to 

 the stomach by the folds of the epiploon (caul). Its tex- 

 ture is almost like that of a sponge, in appearance, consist- 

 ing of innumerable cells of every size and form ; yet it is 

 firm to the touch. In color, it is a dark, deep, reddish 

 brown." The office performed by the spleen in animal 

 economy is not well understood. 



THE KIDNEYS AND BLADDER. 



" The kidneys are situated in the abdomen on each side of 

 spine, in the lumbar region, or loins. The kidneys sepa- 

 rate, or secrete the urine from the blood, which, if not taken 

 out of it, would poison the animal. It will be readily seen, 

 therefore, that they perform an important part in the 

 animal economy. 



" When the urine is thus separated, it passes as it were, 

 drop by drop, through a tube of small calibre, which goes 

 from the kidneys to the bladder, into the latter organ, 

 which is so constructed as to retain it till the proper time, 

 when it is expelled from the body."* 



THE SKIN. 



"The skin of the hog, like that of most other animals, 

 is composed of three separate parts or layers. The first, 



Beasor* 



