ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 95 



externally their feeding capacity by the depth, width and length 

 of body. A wide muzzle which shows a large month, is also an 

 indication of large digestive organs. Perhaps a very brief 

 statement in regard to the food until it is absorbed by the blood 

 will not be out of place. The food is acted upon by the saliva 

 of the mouth and then passes from the cow's mouth into the gullet, 

 and from there into the paunch or first stomach. It remains 

 in the paunch for a short time when it is remasticated and then 

 passes to the second and third stomachs and finally lodges in 

 the fourth, where it is acted upon by the gastric juice. The food 

 remains a short time in the fourth stomach, then it passes out 

 into the small intestines where the bile of the liver and pan- 

 creatic juice are poured out upon it. On account of these actions 

 the soluble nitrogenous matter, carbohydrates and salts are now 

 ready to be absorbed by the blood and to be carried to the different 

 parts of the body to be made use of. 



In brief, the food is absorbed in the intestines by small veins 

 called capillaries, which convey it to the portal vein, which carries 

 the blood to the liver and then goes to the right side of the heart. 

 The emulsified fats reach the same place but through a slightly 

 different course. All of the digestible materials of the food are 

 now in the blood and have reached the right side of the heart. 

 From here the blood goes to the lungs to be purified and then 

 returns to the left side of the heart to be forced to the different 

 parts of the body. There are numerous arteries leading to the 

 different portions of the body, but the blood that reaches the mam- 

 mary glands is the part that most concerns us. The aorta runs 

 along under the spinal column and after branching several times 

 finally gives off the anterior and- the posterior abdominal arteries 

 which supply the udder with their numerous branches. It then 

 passes through the udder and is recollected in milk veins which 

 run along the belly of the animal and finally direct to the heart 

 again. 



So far as the digestive organs have performed the work of 

 getting the food constituents made into blood. The heart is 

 now propelling it to the lungs to be purified and to all portions of 



