20 COMPENDIUM OF THE VETERINARY ART. 



to the second stomach ; and the food being so 

 gross and miperfectly masticated, that it cannot 

 easily pass throiigli a small oritice, it neces- 

 sarily follows that a contraction of the stomach 

 will force the food through the larger opening, 

 and cause it to return to the mouth, where it 

 undergoes a n)ore complete mastication, and 

 is rendered so soft and pulpv, by the addition 

 of saliva, as to pass readily through the smaller 

 oriiice into the seconi stomach. 



The horse, in a state of nature, is almost 

 constantly feeding; and the food which he 

 takes in, is retained but a short time in the 

 stom ich ; digestion seems to be going on 

 nearly throuirh the whole of the intestines, 

 and appears to be chiefly effected in the coe- 

 cum, or bhnd gut, which in the horse is re- 

 markably large and capacious. From these 

 curious contrivances, the horse's stomach is 

 never so loaded with food as to hinder the 

 action of the lungs, and hnpede his velocity. 

 It must be confessed, however, that this does 

 sometimes happen; not from the natural in- 

 clination of the animal, but from the folly, 

 neghgence, or cruelty of his keeper. I have 

 been the more particular in describing the 

 stomach; as tiie subject js comiected with, 



