44 Veterinary Elements. 



work are not favorable to the ruminating process. The 

 position assumed by the ruminant when resting is char- 

 acteristic. The saliva is essential to the chewing of the- 

 cud. When the food is completely remasticated it is 

 swallowed, passed to the manyplies, and from there to 

 the fourth or true stomach, to be acted upon by the gas- 

 tric juices. 



Vomiting in horses and other single-stomached herbi- 

 vora is a rare occurrence, and when it does happen in 

 the former is a grave symptom. The openings into the 

 stomachs of these animals are close together, and as the 

 gullet is closed by a sphincter muscle, if pressure is 

 applied, the contents escape into the intestines. In the 

 horse the stomach is never in contact with the abdominal 

 muscles, consequently the necessary pressure cannot nat- 

 urally be applied. In ruminants the contents of the true 

 stomach do not return to the mouth. 



2. Secretion. Having discussed the preparatory 

 stages through which the food is put, and the organs 

 employed in the process, under the second heading — 

 secretion — those organs and their secretions that have a 

 digestive action, namely the stomach, small intestines, 

 liver, and pancreas will now engage our attention. 



The arrangement of the mucous membrane in the 

 stomach of the horse is such that to all intents and pur- 

 poses it might be considered as two different organs, the 

 villous or true digestive coat, containing the gastric glands. 

 The stomach movements tend to mix the gastric juice 

 thoroughly through the food, thus ensuring the digestion 

 of its contents. The stomach of the pig resembles that 

 of the horse; the fourth compartment only of the rumin- 



