The Digestive System. 31 



esting to note that the teeth of such animals are loosely 

 imbedded in the sockets. The roof of the mouth is 

 formed by what is known as the hard palate, mucous 

 membrane thrown into cross folds. The presence of an 

 artery is made known if one lances just behind the third 

 bar, an operation often performed by blacksmiths and 

 others for Lampas. The cheeks are made up of muscles 

 which are exerted to keep the food between the teeth; 

 on the inside, close to the fourth grinder (molar) a little 

 elevation is felt, which is the point of entrance of the 

 duct carrying the saliva from the parotid gland. The 

 tongue is the organ of taste, is freely movable and in 

 some animals can be extended quite a distance; it is 

 made up of muscular tissue, a fact which must be remem- 

 bered when seizing this organ, or sprain of the muscular 

 fibres will result and the animal may be thus rendered 

 unable to use the organ as it should; the mucous mem- 

 brane which covers the muscular portion is in the horse 

 quite smooth, in the cow and sheep quite rough, due to 

 its arrangement in little tufts called papillte. The tongue 

 in swine and sheep is comparatively small. Irritant 

 medicines must not be administered undiluted or the 

 mucous membrane will be damaged. At the back let 

 down from the roof of the mouth is a double fold of 

 mucous membrane known as the soft palate; its size in the 

 horse bars the exit of breathed air by the mouth, hence the 

 horse breathes only through the nostrils. This soft palate 

 does not hinder breathing through the mouth in cattle and 

 sheep. The mechanism of drinking is controlled by the 

 organs mentioned, in the young animal the lips are 

 placed around the teat, a vacuum is formed and the milk 



