THE EXTERIOR OF THE ^TOMACIiS. 



left flank, we puncture the distended stomach. Its inferior surface 

 rests upon the floor of the belly. The left side reaches to the dia- 

 phragm, and thence, under the left flank, to the pelvis. The right 

 side rests on the floor of the abdomen, and is covered by the fourth 

 stomach. The anterior extremity is attached to the diaphragm by 

 the oesophagus, and by the cardiac ligament ; and the right ex- 

 tremity floats free, generally occupying the pelvis, but pushed thence 

 m the latter period of gestation. 



Deep scissures not only divide it into two lobes, as has been men- 

 tioned, but another scissure posteriorly, which will be shown in the 

 next cut, forms it into two others ; so that its interior presents four 

 compartments, separated from each by deeply projecting duplica- 

 tures of the walls of the stomach. 



This cut represents two of the three coats of the rumen. 



The external, or peritoneal, coat is here represented as turned 

 back at diff"erent places, in order to show the muscular coat, which 

 consists of two layers, the one running longitudinally and the other 

 transversely ; yet not accurately so, for they appear to run obliquely, 

 ^nd in many difterent directions, according to the varying curvatures 

 of the stomach. A very erroneous opinion of this great macerating 

 stomach would be formed by considering it as a mere passive reser- 

 voir in which the food is contained until it is wanted for rumination : 

 it is in constant motion ; the food is perpetually revolving through 

 its different compartments, and undergoing important preparation for 

 future digestion. These muscles are the mechanical agents by 

 which this is effected, and by running in these different directions 

 they are enabled to act upon all the differently formed cells of this 

 enormous viscus. 



d. The reticulum, or honey-cortih, or second stomach, viewed ex- 

 ternally, and supposed to be filled. It is a little curved upon itself 

 from below upward, and is the smallest of all the stomachs. It rests 

 against the diaphragm in front of the left sac of the rumen, and is 

 placed under the oesophagus, and upon the abdominal prolongation 

 of the sternum. 'Jhere are two layers of muscles belonging to this 

 stomach, one of them running longitudinally and the other trans- 

 versely, as in the rumen. 



e gives the external appearance of the mnnyplus, or third stomach. 

 It is less rounded, and longer than the reticulum. It is curved 

 upon itself from above downward. Its little curvature is applied 

 on the left, partly over the reticulum, and more on the paunch ; and 

 on the right it is placed over the base of the fourth stomach. 

 It is situated obliquely from the right side of the abdomen, be- 

 tween the liver and the right sac of the rumen. Girard thus de- 

 scribes it : — " ^ts anterior face rests against the liver and the dia- 

 phragm — its posterior is placed over the right sac of the rumen. 

 Its great, rounded, convex curvature is attached to the fourth 

 13 



