44 Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology of the 
sections : these are generally spoken of as distinct intestines, and 
named, the duodenum, a; the jejunum, b ; the ileum, c ; the ccecum, 
d ; the colon, e; and the rectum, f. They admit likewise of a 
separation into large and small ; the first three belong to the 
latter, and the last three to the former division. These viscera 
vary in length, even in animals belonging to the same class, and 
are relatively longer in the sheep than in the ox. They are 
longest in the herbivora, shortest in the carnivora, and hold a 
middle position in the omnivora. In the horse the disproportion 
between the large and small bowels is very great, but in the ox, 
sheep, and pig this is not the case. Like the stomachs, they have 
three tunics or coats : an external or serous, which secretes a fluid 
to prevent attrition in their movements ; a middle or muscular, 
which maintains the peristaltic action; and an internal or villous, 
which promotes the absorption of the nutrient matters passing 
within them. As chylificaticm is effected in the duodenum, this 
leads to the chyle being chiefly absorbed from the small intestines; 
and hence we find them thrown into countless convolutions, of 
which the sketches on the following page furnish an illustration. 
Fig. 9 gives a view of the intestines of the ox as seen on the 
riffht side ; and fig. 10 those of the slieep on the leftside: the 
referencesare the same in both, a. The duodenum ; b, the jejunum ; 
c, the ileum ; d, the caecum ; e. the colon ; f, the rectum ; g, the 
mesenteric glands, with the lacteals passing to and from them. 
The large intestines receive the ingesta, from which the nutri- 
ment has been extracted, and from them absorption of ordi- 
nary fluids takes place ; the dryness of the foeculent matter will 
consequently depend on their length and the amciunt of fluid which 
is removed. Increase of length leads to retention, and this to 
augmented absorption, so that the difference in the alvine evacu- 
ations of the ox and sheep admits of an easy explanation, for in 
the sheep the colon is much more convoluted than in the ox (com- 
pare figs. 9 and lO). 
To dwell longer on these anatomical facts would be to unneces- 
sarily occupy your time, our object being to give a mere outline 
of the peculiarities of structure, that you may better understand 
both the functions and diseases of the organs we have been de- 
scribing. We will therefore proceed to the pathological division 
of our lecture, and first speak of an accident of very frequent 
occurrence among cattle and sheep, namely, Clioking. 
Choking, or the impaction of a foreign substance in the oeso- 
phagus, is common among oxen, more especially when they are 
fed on bulbous roots; a practice which is usually adopted in 
fattening them for the market. The improvements which have 
been effected in the construction of machines for cutting turnips. 
