The Liver is the largest gland in the body and is situated between the
stomach and the diaphragm. The liver of the horse weighs from ten to
twelve pounds. It is of a dark brown color, well supplied with blood
and nerves, and is held in place by several strong ligaments. A bitter,
greenish colored fluid called the bile is secreted from the liver and
emptied into the digestive system, where it plays an important part
in its action on the food. There is no gall bladder in the horse, but
simply a tube passing from the liver to the small bowel into which it
empties the bile about six inches back of the stomach. It is important
to note that it is in this tube that gall stones sometimes collect.
The Pancreas is another very important gland. It is of a grayish, fatty
color, and may be found near the roof of the abdominal cavity in front
of the kidneys. The Pancreas secretes a clear, colorless fluid called
the pancreatic juice. This fluid, like the bile from the liver, also
plays an important part in the digestion of food. It is carried down
from the Pancreas by a duct or tube emptying into the small bowel just
back of that of the liver.
The Spleen is a long, flat gland about fifteen inches in length,
situated along the left side of the stomach and to which it is closely
attached. It is of a grayish red color and feels quite soft. It is
ductless, there being no secretion passing from it. The function of
this gland is not clearly understood, but by many it is supposed to
regulate the temperature of the stomach during the process of digestion
and to act as a reservoir for the blood. Some speak of it as the
burying ground of the red corpuscles. It is well supplied with blood
vessels and nerves and weighs about two pounds in an average sized
horse.
RUMINANTIA.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.--The lips of an ox are thick and hard. The upper has
no hair on it and varies in color with the color of the animal. When
cattle are in good health this space is always moist.
The cheeks on the inside are covered by many small rough processes,
which give them a very rough appearance.
The Tongue of the ox is stronger than that of the horse and is more
movable. It is very thick and heavy at the back, pointed at the front
end and the upper part of it is very rough. It is by means of the
tongue that the ox takes most of the food into the mouth.
The Salivary glands are similar to those of the horse.
The Teeth differ very much from those of the horse.
The ox has no front teeth in the upper part of his mouth, their place
being taken by a pad of cartilage or gristle. This pad takes the place
of the upper row of front teeth. The lower row of teeth press against
it when the animal is cropping grass. This accounts for the fact that
cattle do not do as well on short grass as horses.
The front teeth in the lower jaw also differ from those of the horse.
They are eight in number, chisel-shaped, and are loosely set in the gum.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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