28 THE farmer's VETERINARIAN 



all plant food first passes into a soluble state be- 

 fore it can enter the roots and be conveyed to the 

 parts of the plants that require additional food for 

 growth. In the case of plants the entrance is by 

 means of the root hairs. In the case of the animal, 

 entrance in the body is by means of the villi cells 

 that line the intestines. From this we see that 

 digestion is both an intricate and delicate process. 

 Any loss of appetite, any disturbance of the diges- 

 tion work, and any irregularity of the bowels bear 

 decided results, one way or the other, to the rest 

 of the system ; and any disturbance of the body at 

 other points, although having no direct relation to 

 the digestion system, sooner or later affects the 

 digestion and in so doing causes additional trouble. 

 Directly affecting digestion may be improper 

 food, either liquid or solid; and over-exercise or 

 not enough of it may prove troublesome, for exer- 

 cise is clearly related to digestion. When the 

 digestion process is disturbed, air or gas may ac- 

 cumulate in the stomach or bowels and give rise to 

 colic or hoven. A watery action of the intestines, 

 due to inflammation or irritation, may lead to 

 dysentery and enteritis ; or some obstruction like a 

 hair-ball or a clover fuzzy ball, or the knotting of 

 the intestines, may occur, temporarily or perma- 

 nently impairing digestion so seriously often as to 

 cause death itself. 



CIRCULATION 



As water in the plant is the carrier of plant food 

 throughout the plant, so is blood the carrier and 

 distributor of food in the animal. When food is 

 absorbed, it either passes into the lymphatic sys- 

 tem or into the capillaries of the blood system. 



