﻿OF 
  THE 
  PYTHON. 
  123 
  

  

  circumference, 
  resembling 
  those 
  in 
  the 
  colon 
  of 
  man. 
  In 
  three 
  or 
  

   four 
  places, 
  distinct 
  and 
  removed 
  from 
  each 
  other, 
  some 
  remarkable 
  

   and 
  sudden 
  diminutions 
  exist 
  in 
  the 
  calibre, 
  scarcely 
  large 
  enough 
  to 
  

   admit 
  the 
  little 
  finger, 
  but 
  which 
  were 
  not 
  accompanied 
  by 
  any 
  cor- 
  

   responding 
  appearance 
  externally. 
  The 
  channel 
  here 
  is 
  oblique, 
  as 
  

   regards 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  intestine, 
  and 
  extends 
  for 
  the 
  space 
  of 
  half 
  an 
  

   inch, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  discovered 
  with 
  some 
  difficulty. 
  Such 
  a 
  conforma- 
  

   tion 
  must 
  very 
  much 
  retard 
  the 
  passage 
  of 
  the 
  food, 
  and 
  in 
  fact 
  abso- 
  

   lutely 
  arrest 
  it 
  until 
  perfectly 
  digested 
  ; 
  it 
  also 
  may 
  afford 
  the 
  lacteals, 
  

   by 
  the 
  consequent 
  delay, 
  full 
  time 
  to 
  take 
  up 
  the 
  chyle. 
  In 
  this 
  way 
  

   nature 
  compensates 
  for 
  the 
  want 
  of 
  a 
  more 
  extensive 
  canal, 
  the 
  pro- 
  

   traction 
  of 
  digestion 
  supplying 
  the 
  defect 
  arising 
  from 
  the 
  limited 
  sur- 
  

   face 
  of 
  the 
  canal. 
  The 
  lower 
  fifth 
  of 
  this 
  intestine 
  is 
  smooth 
  and 
  

   nearly 
  destitute 
  of 
  villi, 
  thus 
  presenting 
  the 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  rectum. 
  

   At 
  the 
  termination 
  of 
  the 
  rectum, 
  a 
  sudden 
  contraction 
  is 
  made 
  to 
  

   form 
  the 
  anus, 
  a 
  circular 
  opening, 
  which 
  is 
  placed 
  immediately 
  above 
  

   the 
  vaginal 
  pouch, 
  being 
  nearer 
  the 
  ventral 
  surface, 
  and 
  further 
  re- 
  

   moved 
  from 
  the 
  caudal 
  extremity. 
  The 
  anus 
  is 
  surrounded 
  by 
  some 
  

   circular 
  fibres, 
  causing 
  the 
  mucous 
  coat 
  here 
  to 
  be 
  puckered 
  into 
  small 
  

   folds. 
  

  

  BILIARY 
  ORGANS. 
  

  

  The 
  liver 
  is 
  placed 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  spine, 
  and 
  commences 
  

   at 
  the 
  distance 
  of 
  about 
  two 
  feet 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  from 
  the 
  head; 
  it 
  is 
  

   fifteen 
  inches 
  in 
  length, 
  oblong 
  and 
  somewhat 
  flattened 
  in 
  shape, 
  of 
  

   a 
  dark 
  brown 
  colour, 
  and 
  tapers 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  at 
  either 
  end. 
  The 
  

   peritoneum, 
  which 
  covers 
  it 
  and 
  forms 
  its 
  external 
  coat, 
  attaches 
  it 
  

   along 
  the 
  back. 
  The 
  vena 
  cava 
  meets 
  it 
  below, 
  and 
  runs 
  in 
  a 
  fossa 
  

   along 
  the 
  whole 
  length, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  its 
  anterior 
  or 
  ventral 
  

   face, 
  leaving 
  it 
  at 
  the 
  top, 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  the 
  right 
  auricle 
  of 
  the 
  heart 
  ; 
  it 
  lies 
  

   beneath 
  the 
  peritoneum, 
  which 
  thus 
  covers 
  the 
  anterior 
  face 
  of 
  it. 
  A 
  

   multitude 
  of 
  branches 
  is 
  received 
  by 
  this 
  vein 
  from 
  the 
  liver 
  through- 
  

   out 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  its 
  course, 
  causing 
  it 
  to 
  augment 
  in 
  size. 
  On 
  the 
  

   dorsal 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  liver, 
  the 
  vena 
  portae, 
  coming 
  from 
  the 
  stomach 
  and 
  

   intestines, 
  is 
  accommodated 
  in 
  a 
  similar 
  manner; 
  but 
  this 
  vessel, 
  in 
  

   consequence 
  of 
  its 
  distributing 
  branches 
  continually 
  to 
  the 
  gland, 
  

  

  