72 THE CANADIAN HOESE 



together by wire sutures, and apply a pad and bandagCj 

 allowing nothing but bland nourishing fluids. 



DISEASES OP THE STOMACH. 



The stomach is that pouch or bag into which the food 

 passes from the gullet, and in which it undergoes the 

 primary and essential changes in the process of digestion. 

 The stomach of the horse is comparatively a small organ ; its 

 shape is generally compared to the air-bag of a pair of bag- 

 pipes. It has two openings, the cardiac,- into which the 

 food enters from the gullet, and the pyloric, through which 

 it passes into the bowels or gut. Its inner surface is lined 

 by two distinct membranes, a cuticular and a villous. The 

 former lines the cardiac portion, and is white and wrinkled ; 

 the latter covers the pyloric, and is yellowish red, soft, and 

 velvety to the feel. The latter is the true digestive stomach : 

 in it the gastric juice is secreted, and the essential process 

 of chymification, or the formation of the food into chyme 

 goes on, the former being merely for macerating and further 

 triturating the masticated food. 



INDIGESTION. 



Indigestion in one form or other is very common in the 

 horse. It occurs in two forms, which may be distinguished 

 as acidity of the stomach or heartburn, and acute indigestion 

 or total arrestment of digestion. 



ACIDITY OP THE STOMACH. 



Acidity of the stomach arises from bad food and irregular 

 feeding. 



Symptoms. — The animal is observed to lose condition ; 

 the skin is dusty and unthrifty ; he is continually poking 

 and picking among the litter, licking out the corners of the 



