66 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



serving the albuminoids, with many offices not fully de- 

 termined. 



The liver is regarded as a filter to separate excrementi- 

 tious matters from the blood, as well as supplying an im- 

 portant agent in digestion. 



THE PANCREAS. This organ has a close resemblance to 

 the salivary glands. It is situated in. front of the kidneys, 

 and behind the liver. Its weight, in the horse, is about 17 

 ounces. 



The pancreas receives its blood by the hepatic and great 

 mesenijeric arteries. *ts secretion, or juice, has an alkaline 

 action, and contains several ferments ; a diastase capable of 

 turning starch into sugar ; trypsin, acting on the albumi- 

 noids, and a ferment that emulcifies fats. The latter office 

 is stated by Ohauveau to be its principal one. It seems 

 certain that the action of the pancreatic juice is very im- 

 portant on several classes of food elements. 



THE SPLEEN. This organ differs from the glands in not 

 having an excretory duct. It has been called a vascular 

 gland, but its uses are not fully understood. It is sickle- 

 shaped, and is suspended near the great curvature of the 

 stomach. The tissue of the spleen has a violet blue color, 

 sometimes approaching to red, is elastic, tenacious and 

 soft, yields to the pressue of the finger and retains the im- 

 print. It is the seat of disease called splenic fever, caused 

 by its engorgement of blood. It has been called a reser- 

 voir of blood from the portal vein. The substance of the 

 spleen is easily dilated, and its elasticity favors this view. 

 The red globules of blood are supposed to be destroyed in 

 the spleen. 



It does not appear to be indispensably necessary to life, 

 as animals have lived, in apparent health, after its removal 

 from the body. 



