LECTURE IV. 191 



testines is mucli more ample in herbivorous 

 than in carnivorous animals. So that from 

 these and other observations, it is believed 

 that the residue of the alimentary matter 

 undergoes a great change in them, pro- 

 duced by the qualities of the liquors they 

 secrete, and that this change prevents a 

 spontaneous chemical decomposition of 

 the contents, and conduces to the extraction 

 of whatever may be useful from the residue . 

 of the food. But I shall not detain your 

 attention on this subject, because I have al-, 

 ready briefly expressed my opinions respect- 

 ing it. I omit many things, for I only at- 

 tempt to explain what I believe were Mr. 

 Hunter's opinions on certain points in phy- 

 siology. Sir E. Home has already told us 

 how industriously he noted the varieties of 

 the formation of this part of the alimentary 

 canal in different animals. 



Though I must not proceed to describe 

 in detail the facts which Mr. Hunter exhi- 

 bits, with respect to the structure of the 

 digestive organs of different animals, yet I 

 shall mention in what variety they are dis- 



