Cattle 1853 - Lewis Family Farm

THE EXTERIOR OF THE STOMACIiS. 289
left flank, we puncture the distended stomach. Its inferior surface
rests upon the floor of the belly. The left side reaches to the diaphragm,
and thence, under the left flank, to the pelvis. The right
side rests on the floor of the abdomen, and is covered by the fourth
stomach. The anterior extremity is attached to the diaphragm 'by
the oesophagus, and by the cardiac ligament ; and the right extremity
floats free, generally occupying the pelvis, but pushed thence
in the latter period of gestation.
Deep scissures not only divide it into two lobes, as has been mentioned,
but another scissure posteriorly, which will be shown in the
next cut, forms it into two others ; so that its interior presents four
compartments, separated from each by deeply projecting duplicatures
of the walls of the stomach.
This cut represents two of the three coats of the rumen.
The external, or peritoneal, coat is here represented as turned
back at different places, in order to show the muscular coat, which
consists of two layers, the one running longitudinally and the other
transversely ; yet not accurately so, for they appear to run obliquely,
and in many different directions, according to the varying curvatures
of the stomach. A very erroneous opinion of this great macerating
stomach would be formed by considering'it as a mere passive reser-"
voir in which the food is contained until it is wanted for rumination
it is in constant motion ; the food is perpetually revolving through
its different compartments, and undergoing important preparation for
future digestion. These muscles are the mechanical agents by
which this is effected, and by running in these different directions
they are enabled to act upon all the differently formed cells of this
enormous viscus.
d. The reticulum, or honey-comb, or second stomach, viewed ex-
ternally, and supposed to be filled.' It is a little curved upon itself
from' below upward, and is the smallest of all the stomachs. It rests
against the diaphragm in front of the left sac of the rumen, and is
placed under the oesophagus, and upon the abdominal prolongation
of the sternum. There are two layers of muscles belonging to this
stomach, one of them running longitudinally and the other transversely,
as in the rumen.
e gives the external appearance of the manyplus, or third stomach.
It is less rounded, and longer than the reticulum. It is curved
upon itself from above downward. Its little curvature is applied
on the left, partly over the reticulum, and more on the paunch ; and
on the right it is placed over the base of the fourth stomach.
It is situated obliquely from the right side of the abdomen, between
the liver and the right sac of the rumen. Girard thusrfe-
scribes it>:— "Its anterior face rests against the liver and the diaphragm—its
posterior is placed over the right sac of the rumen.
Its great, rounded, convex curvature is attached to the fourth
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