Final answer:
A balling gun or bolus gun is used to administer large pills to cows, delivering the medication directly to the throat while preventing chewing or injury.
Step-by-step explanation:
The device typically used to administer a large pill-shaped capsule or tablet to a cow is known as a balling gun or a bolus gun. This instrument is designed to safely dispense oral medications to large animals without causing injury to the animal or the person administering the medication. The balling gun is a long, rod-like tool that carries the pill to the back of the cow's mouth to ensure the medication is swallowed properly and does not injure the mouth or get chewed.
Imagine if the pill was instead a part of a sandwich, as you described. It would be placed in the cow's mouth where it would encounter the tongue and teeth, which are typically involved in the sensory experience and mechanical breakdown of food. In a more scientific look at this process, one might envision the tongue helping to position the food or pill for chewing, while the teeth, including incisors, would handle the grinding. However, for administering medications, the balling gun bypasses this process by delivering the pill directly to the throat for swallowing.