Cattle 1853 - Lewis Family Farm

292 CAITLE.,
and numerous little prominences, -which can be seen in the inflated
stomach of a young ruminant when exposed to the light, are best
accounted for by considering them as glandular bodies.
There are two openings into the rumen ; the one already spoken of,
at the base of the oesophagus, and through which the substances
gathered at the first cropping of the food, and perhaps all solids, fall,
and a considerable proportion of the liquids are swallowed. The other"
opening is below this. It is larger and always open ; it communicates
with the second stomach ; but there is a semilunar fold of the rumen,
that runs obliquely across it, and acts as a valve, so that nothing can
pass from the first into the second stomach, except by some forcible
effort ; and it is very seldom that anything is returned from the
rumen directly into the oesophagus.
Considering the size of the paunch, it has very few blood-vessels ;
m fact, it has not much to do except macerating the food. The
arteries are supplied by the splenics, which are of very great size in
ruminants. The nerves are given out by the coeliac plexus.
d. The reticulum, or second stomach. The cuticular coat here
covers a very irregular surface, consisting of cells, shallower and
wider than those of a honey-comb, but very much resembling them
hence this stomach is sometimes called the honey-comb. Each of
. these divisions contains several smaller ones ; and at> the base and
along the sides of each are found numerous minute prominences, or
- papillae, which are evidently secreting glands. -
There are two openings into the stomach ; one through the floor
of the oesophagean canal, one of the pillars of which is formed of a
duplicature of the coats of the lesser curvature of the reticulum.
The other is that already described, between this stomach and the
rumen.
The muscular coat of this stomach is thick and powerful, but the
blood-vessels are not numerous, for it wJl hereafter appear that its
functions are very simple. The arteries and nerves of the reticulum
are derived from the same source as those of the rumen.
e. The mcmyplus, or third stomach. The internal structure of this
stomach is very singular. The oesophagean canal changes its form
and character at the commencement of the manyplus ; and the fleshy
pillars, of which mention has been so often made, unite, forming a
kind of obtuse angle. The floor of the canal is now perfect, and
nothing can any longer fall into the stomachs beneath. A small
circular aperture alone is left between them, which conducts to the
third stomach, the floor of which is closed, but the roof is constructed
jn a remarkable way. The whole of the stomach contributes to form
this roof ; and from it there descend' numerous duplicatures of the
cuticular coat, each duplicature containing within it cellular tissue,
blood-vessels, and a thin but powerful layer of muscles. They are
formed into groups. A long duplicature, resembling a leaf or cur-
;