DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF CATTLE 
343 
act is performed as follows: After being softened and 
moistened by warmth the food passes from the paunch into 
the second division — the honey comb. In this small globe- 
like compartment the food is moistened and compressed into 
small balls — the cud. By a peculiar reverse action of the 
gullet these balls are taken back to the mouth to be chewed 
over again. When the re-mastication is complete it is again 
swallowed, but this time passes directly into the third di- 
vision — the many-plies, and thence to the fourth or true 
stomach. 
12. The Process of Digestion. 
Following rumination which, strictly speaking, is the 
first step in the digesting process, the food passes into the 
many-plies or third division. The fine parts pass right along 
to the abomasum or fourth stomach, while the coarser parts 
are drawn between- the folds of membrane in this division 
and worked about until it is fine and ready to pass into the 
fourth stomach, where it becomes fully digested by the action 
of acids and gastric juices which are secreted into this part. 
It then passes into the small bowels, and is acted upon by 
the bile from the liver and the pancreatic juice from the 
pancreas. These juices are emptied into the first part of the 
small bowels through little tubes or ducts, which lead from 
the glands down to the bowels, just on the same principle as 
that of the horse. After this, throughout the rest of the 
bowels, the nourishment of the food is taken into the system 
by means of little glands or villi which are situated in the 
coating of the bowels. The nourishment when once in the 
blood goes to supply the different parts of the body, while 
the part containing no nourishment or undigested passes off 
through the back bowels in the form of manure. 
III. THE RESPIRATORY OR BREATHING ORGANS. 
These organs work on the same principle and rese'mble 
in structure those of the horse, only that they are not, as a 
general thing, so liable to diseases. 
IV. THE URINARY ORGANS. 
The chief point of difference in these organs occurs in 
the kidneys, which in the ox are larger, and instead of being 
smooth, like those of the horse, are rough, resembling a 
