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MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 
be liable to constant entanglement and injury by jolting 
during the rapid and violent motions which the horse is 
subjected to. 
The middle, or muscular coat, like that of the stomach, 
is composed of two kinds of fibres, one of which is longi¬ 
tudinal, just under the peritoneum, and stronger circular 
fibres are situate more inwardly. In consequence of these 
combined actions the intestine may be contracted in all 
directions. It is by the action of the circular fibres that 
the aliment is gradually forced through the intestines. 
The villous, or mucous coat—so named from its surface 
being studded with small glands which give out a mucous 
fluid to lubricate the coating, and sheaths and defends it 
from acrimonious or mechanical irritation of the aliment, and 
also to facilitate its passage through the intestine. It is also 
crowded with innumerable small apertures, which are the 
mouths of minute vessels, by which the nutritial portion of 
the food is absorbed, and which is ultimately conveyed into 
the circulation and distributed through every part of the 
body. 
Having given an account of the structure and appearance 
of the intestines generally, we shall now enter into their 
peculiarities. 
PLATE VIII. Fig. 5. 
This gives a general view of the appearance of the belly 
with the intestines, as they are presented without any of 
them being removed, the skin of the abdomen only cut 
open and thrown back so as to expose the viscera, 
a, a, a, a. The colon, which in the horse is a gut of enormous size, 
being the longest and most capacious of the large intestines 
Such is its capacity, that it will contain about twelve gallons 
of water. The course and figure of this intestine are peculiar. 
It begins at the head of the colon, and expands into a canty 
