90 THEORY AND PRACTICE 



and pancreatic ferments act upon it. The action of the bile is 

 three- fold : 



1. Changes the acid reaction to alkaline. 



2. Emulsifies the fat. 



3. Acts as a laxative. 



The pancreatic juice contains four ferments: 



1. Amylopsin — to digest starch. 



2. Steapsin — to digest fat. 



3. Rennin — to digest milk. 



4. Trypsin — to digest proteids. 



In the duodenum the chyme is changed to chyle. 



In the intestine the food meets with succus intericus, which 

 Pawlow calls the ''juice of juices." The food is absorbed by 

 the villi of the small intestine. In the villi are the small lym- 

 phatics which take in the chyle, carrying it to the receptaculum 

 chyli and from there on through the thoracic duct to the heart; 

 the villus capillaries absorb the other products of digestion and 

 carry them to the liver. 



The stomach is the fountain of health; if in good condition 

 the animal is well. In man indigestion is the main factor caus- 

 ing disease and this is also true in the other animals. The food 

 is either too bulky, or too concentrated ; too rich or too poor ; too 

 wet or too dry; contains too much indigestible matter or not 

 enough of it; the animal is either over-fed or not fed enough; 

 he is fed at too long intervals or irregularly. 



As regards the tendency of digestive organs to develop dis- 

 ease, this depends largely upon the parts of the digestive system 

 most often in use : such parts will be most abused. In the horse 

 the food is a short time in the stomach and a long time in the 

 bowels. Consequently the horse has less disturbance in the stom- 

 ach than in the bowels — diseases of the bowels are common. In 

 ruminants the reverse conditions attain diseases of the stom- 

 ach are common and rare in the bowels. 



The horse, not being a ruminant, should eat slowly and mas- 

 ticate his food thoroughly. It is important that the amylopsis 

 in the mouth should be complete. Many diseases come from 

 bolting the food. Sometimes it is difficult to prevent bolting. 

 Too concentrated food produces diseases of the stomach; too 



