THE ANATOMY OF THE HORSE 
muscles of the gullet it is grasped and forced downward into 
a tube, the muscular fibres of which act in such a manner 
as to force it onward into the stomach. Here it is rolled 
about and thoroughly mixed with the gastric and pepsine 
juices which act upon it chemically, changing it into what is 
known as chyme. From the stomach it passes up into the 
front part of the small bowel, where it receives the secretions 
from the liver and the pancreas. These also act chemically 
upon the food, changing the chyme into what is called chyle. 
By the action of little villi and lacteals situated in the coat- 
ings of the bowels the chyle or nourishment is absorbed from 
the food and carried into the veins which conduct it to the 
heart. The heart forces it forward through the arteries into 
the capillaries. These are minute hairlike tubes forming a 
connecting link between the arteries and veins. They are 
found in all parts of the body and it is through their thin 
walls that the body receives nourishment for life and strength. 
