DISEASES OF THE HOG. 33 
other portions, while the secretions from the oeso- 
phageal portion are free from ferment. It is found. 
that the conversion of starch into sugar continues 
in the stomach of the pig, as the food remains alk- 
aline in the cardiac end; but as the food moves on | 
and comes in contact with the acid gastric juice 
it ceases. The saliva of the pig is very active, and 
its action continuing after it has reached the stom- 
ach gives the pig very great power of digesting 
starchy food, and on this account the pig takes 
on fat more rapidly than other animals, while be- 
ing fed on cereals, especially corn. It has been 
noted by experiment that flesh takes a much long- 
er time to digest in the stomach of the pig than 
it does in that of carnivora. The pig does not 
masticate vegetable matters as well as herbivor- 
ous animals, so that they are less constituted for 
the extraction of nutritive principles from it; 
therefore, although meat and vegetables are use- 
ful as articles of diet, they are not so profitable for 
feeding purposes as grain. It is claimed that the 
pig is capable of digesting fully fifty per cent of 
cellulose. Figure 140. The intestines in general 
resemble those of the ruminent. The caecum re- 
sembles that of the horse. The intestines are not 
nearly so sensitive and therefore are not nearly so 
liable to disease as those of the horse; they are 
short and the absorbent glands are numerous and 
active. - 
