VEGETABLE POISONS. 203 



of the waste constantly taking place in the animal 

 body. The first part of this tube has been deno- 

 minated the pharynx; which commences from 

 the back of the mouth, and passing behind the 

 larynx or commencement of the wind-pipe, soon 

 terminates in the second part, or continuation of 

 the tube called the esophagus or gullet: which 

 preserves that name until it reaches the upper 

 portion of the abdomen, and then forms the 

 stomach; immediately below which, the intestines 

 (being still an elongation of the same canal,) com- 

 mence, filling up the middle and lower portions 

 of the abdomen. 



The pharynx and aesophagus perform no other 

 part, but that of receiving the food which has 

 already undergone a partial preparation in the 

 mouth by mastication and admixture with the 

 saliva, and of propelling it into the stomach, where 

 it is retained, until it has been digested ; that is, 

 until it has been intermixed with a secretion 

 from that organ termed the gastric juice, and so 

 churned (if we may use the expression) by the 

 action of the stomach, the diaphragm or midriff, 

 and of the abdominal muscles, as to be reduced to 

 a fine, soft, homogeneous pulp, termed the chyme ; 

 in which state it excites the muscles of the sto- 

 mach to force it into the upper part of the intes- 

 tines, where it meets with the bile from the gall 

 bladder and liver, and with a secreted fluid from 

 the pancreas. By the chemical operation of 



