Intestines. Historical anatomical artwork of the human intestines. The skin, fat and muscle layer covering the abdomen and groin have been removed, revealing the internal organs of the digestive system. At centre are the folds of the small intestine, which has been partially pulled out of its cavity to make it more visible. The small intestine receives food from the stomach (not clearly seen) and passes it to the large intestine (colon). This starts at lower left, and wraps upwards, across and down right. Water is absorbed here, and the faeces passed to the rectum (lower centre). Artwork from the 19th-century book Atlas of Anatomy, by Bourgery and Jacob. This book, which took over 20 years to complete, was published in France in 8 volumes from 1831 to 1854.