THE ANATOMY OF THE OX. 246 



di-'eniive part ol Ihc slouiach. The first three departments of the 

 5i.jMuich prepares the food for dig-estion, while the fourth dig-esta 

 It. The rumen or paunch is very large, and in an aged animal it 

 fills up three-quarters of the belly cavity, it lies up against the left 

 side of the belly/where it is attached and held to its place by liga 

 ments ; its situation is important to remember, for in many dis- 

 eases of the rumen, or paunch, it is first noticed on the left side, 

 and in tapping for bloating it is always done on the left side 

 because the paunch lies right up against the left side. The walls 

 of the paunch of an ox resembles the stomach of the horse, but is 

 not nearly so sensitive, and will stanu a great deal of abuse before 

 inflammation will set in. The paunch has two openings, both of 

 which are at the front, one is where the food enters the stomach, 

 while the other is where the food passes out into the next division 

 of the stomach called the reticulum, or honey comb, which is the 

 smallest division of the stomach, and resembles a honey comb in 

 appearance. This part of the stomach has not very much to do in 

 preparing the food ; it has two openings, one in front, where the 

 food enters into it, the other at the back, where the food passes 

 through into the third part of the stomach called the omasum, or 

 manyplies, which is the second largest division of the stomach. 

 When this is full it is ovoid in shape and placed just behind the 

 second division of the stomach and at the right side of the paunch, 

 and if you examine the inside it will be found to be full of folds, 

 or layers of membrane. The use of this part of the stomach is, while 

 the food is passing through it to draw into its folds all the coarse 

 parts of the food and roll it about in the layers until it gets it fine 

 and well prepared to pass into the last part of the stomach, where 

 it becomes digested. When this part of the stomach becomes de- 

 ranged and the food becomes dry and hard between the folds it 

 then sets up the disease called impaction of the manyplies, or dry 

 murne. When the food passes out of this third division it is 

 emptied into the fourth part of the stomach called the abomasum, 

 or the true digestive part of the stomach. This is where the food 

 is digested. The walls of this part of the stomach is redder in 

 color than the three first divisions and has the glands which 

 secrete the acids and gastric juices of the stomach which assist 

 greatly in dig-estion. This stomach, also, has two openings, one 

 where the food enters and the other where the food goes out of it 

 and enters into the small bowels. 



