122 A Manual of Veterinary Physiology. 



Having gone very carefully into the question of the 

 presence of hydrochloric and organic acids in the stomach 

 contents, I can only say that, no matter at what period of 

 digestion I have made the observation, I have never yet 

 succeeded in finding hydrochloric acid in the stomach of 

 the horse, and I am convinced that lactic is the chief, 

 if not the sole, digestive acid in this animal. 



The Secretion of Gastric Juice is accomplished in certain 

 glands, known as the gastric glands. In man these are 

 divided into cardiac and pyloric glands, each having not 

 only a different structure, but a distinct function. In the 

 horse cardiac glands are impossible, owing to the presence 

 of the cuticular coat ; but it has been shown that the 

 villous coat contains glands corresponding to cardiac, 

 which are principally situated in the greater curvature, not 

 far from the margin of the cuticular coat, and extending 

 over a comparatively small area, described on p. 112 as not 

 larger than 1 foot square, this portion of the stomach being 

 known as the fundus (Fig. 7). Mucus is secreted in large 

 quantities by the villous coat of the horse's stomach, and 

 is formed principally in the fundus. This mucus is 

 secreted by the epithelial cells lining the villous coat and 

 the upper portion or outlets of the gastric glands. 



The two kinds of gland employed in the production of 

 gastric juice are both found in the villous coat, the one 

 in the fundus, the other in the pyloric portion. They are 

 simple or divided tubes lying side by side, and opening 

 generally in groups on the surface of the mucous membrane 

 by means of a shallow depression in the coat, which can 

 readily be seen studded over the tunic of the fundus, giving 

 it a rough appearance owing to the elevation of the mucous 

 membrane between the openings of the glands, whilst in 

 the pyloric region the membrane is as smooth as that found 

 in the intestine. Each gland consists of a body, neck, and 

 mouth, and is lined with cells. It is in respect of the 

 cellular contents that the so-called pyloric and fundus 

 glands differ. 



The cells of the fundus glands aro small, polyhedral, 



