176 



A MANUAL OF VETERINARY PHYSIOLOGY 



appears to be to regulate the passage of material from the stomach 

 into the intestines. The writer's observations have shown that 

 its presence in all probability influences rupture of the stomach, 

 for the more distended the large bowels become, the greater the 



£<*oc/eium 



?/*SSo/*rcrc6 or/Intro/^ 

 joy/or/' 



fv/y&tts 



C~ yb/~e/t>y/or/c re 0/0/* 



Fig. 64. — Schematic Figure of the Human Stomach (Howell, after 



Retzius). 



pressure exercised on the duodenum, and in cases of severe 

 tympany the passage from the stomach to the intestines is 

 completely cut off. Should fermentation still continue in the 

 stomach, the contents can neither escape into the oesophagus, 



nor into the bowel, 

 and the coats of the 

 viscus may be com- 

 pletely ruptured 

 under the intense 

 strain. Figs. 62 and 

 63 demonstrate the 

 position the greater 

 curvature of the 

 stomach occupies 

 towards the left ribs. 

 There is no space 

 left into which the 

 stomach can swell. 

 It is held back by the 

 diaphragm, pushed 

 forward by the intes- 

 tines, bound down by 

 the ribs, and rupture 

 of the greater curvature follows. It was mentioned on p. 159 

 that the oesophagus of the horse near its termination changes 

 from red to pale muscle, and for several inches increases enor- 

 mously in thickness. It is this thickened contracted end of the 

 oesophagus which completely seals the stomach anteriorly ; 



Fig. 65. — Longitudinal Section of the StomAch 

 of the Horse, showing the Syphon Trap of 

 the Duodenum. 



PV» pylorus ; d, left sac ; v, fundus ; 

 duo., duodenum. 



02, CEsophagus 



