106 THE FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



hog 77 feet, lengths which are from twelve to twenty-six 

 times that of the body of the animal. The intestines are 

 divided into large and small, the latter being from three 

 to four times as long as the former. , 



150. Food in the small intestine. — ^When the food 

 leaves the stomach, it enters the small intestine. At this 

 point it is only partially digested. The fats are probably 

 so far mostly unchanged and, without doubt, the larger 

 proportion of the proteins and carbohydrates that are 

 susceptible of digestion is stDl in the original condition. 

 Hardly has this partially dissolved material passed into 

 the small intestines before it comes in contact with two 

 new liquids which are poured on it simultaneously or 

 nearly so, viz., the bile and the pancreatic juice, and the 

 changes which began in the mouth and stomach, with 

 others which set in for the first time, proceed vigorously. 



151. The bile. — ^The bile has its source in the Uver. It 

 is a secretion of this organ, and after elaboration a reserve 

 is stored, until required, in a small sac attached to the 

 liver which is called the "gall bladder." Gall is conveyed 

 to the intestines through a duct opening very near the 

 orifice leading out of the stomach. The rate of secretion 

 of bile, according to experiments by Colin, is as follows: 

 Horse, eight to ten ounces an hour; ox, three to four 

 ounces an horn-; sheep, one-foiulh to five oimces an 

 hoiu-; pig, two to five ounces an hour. The secretion and 

 fiow of bile are continuous but the flow is not imiform. 

 Bile is a liquid varying when fresh from a golden red color 

 in man to a grass-green or olive-green in certain herbiv- 

 orous animals. It is alkaline, bitter to the taste and 

 without odor. The speciQc and characteristic constitu- 

 ents of the bile are two acids, glycocholic and tauro- 

 cholic, that are combined with sodium and are associated 



