The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1849-12-24
INTRODUCTORY LECTURE,
Delivered TO the Citizens of Memphis,
BY J. MILTON SANDERS, A. NJ.
PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
IN THE MEMPHIS INSTITUTE.
GCONTINUFD1
CONTINUED

CONTINUED
There is no subject pertaining to the or
ganism, which merits the attention of the
physician so much as that of digestion-thatI
process which eliminates from food the nutri
ton necessary to the formation of the various
organs of the body and there are no pro-
cesses or changes, going on in the system,
which so come under the dominion OF chemis-
try. for each change which transpires-from
the moment the food is taken into the stomach
till its final elimination from the body as car
bonc acid ammonia and water-comes direct
w within the cognisance of this science.
As soon as food is received into the stom-
ach, it is subjected TO the action of the gastric
Juice. and is converted into what is termed
chyme. The gastric juice has undergone rig
id analysis, without eIiciting anything which
elucidates its peculiar property of dissolving
fbric, albumen, etc. but still! chemistry fur
nishes US with the only analogy of informa-
ton which admits of an explanation of the
peculiar properties ofthis fluid. This analo-
gy is to be found in Fermentation. In the
latter, the process of decomposition, or the
motion of particles. Is originally impaired from
a body previously in that state. This is
thought to be the case in digestion, the coats
Of the stomach being in peculiar state OF
change which imparts its motion to the gas
trio Juice, and thence to the food. This can
be proven by artificial digestion, the motion
being impaired to TIE gastric juice while
out of the stomach, by the living membrane
of the. stomach of a calf And artificial gas
trio juice may be prepared which will answer
every purpose by using water slightly acid
ulated with hydrochloric acid, &c.
The chyme thus eliminated from the food,
soon passes from the stomach and is changed
to chyle which is really blood, which not be-
ing oxidised, has not yet received its color
This chyle soon passes into the circulation
being now in the great laboratory of the sys
TEN, ready to be formed into fibric, or nervous
matter, or brain, &c. Changes here are con
stantly ensuing, for the chyle is soon appro
priated to the replacement of some metamor
lphosed tissues. which are then converted in
to carbonic acid, their nitrogen being separa
tied from the arterial blood in the kidneys, a
the compound of Uric acid and Urea.
In stating these changes, have not resort
ed to formula or equations as illustrations
and proofs; for, although elegant, their com
I; nE;6sRat at this time would render them map
lPToPridte. 1TS- CTuncIdtIUIT -syr,y,r, II
: alone quite sufficient to convince soal-tA4.
none of the changes which are constantly
transpiring in the system, can be accounted
for, or rightly investigated, without resortins
to chemical principles. As another and stri
king instance, will review the process BY
which fat is accumulated in the system, anC
: which will be done quite briefly. This sub
stance, which is amosphous, or not organi
Zed, is collected in the cellular tissues, anC
is derived from the non-agatised elements o
the food, such as the starch, sugar, gum, etc
The composition Of these substances is such
that if they be de-oxydsed they are convert
ed into fat. Some authors have asserted
that enough of this substance exists already
formed in the food of the herbivora, to ac-
Ieout for all that found in their bodies but
this assertion has not, by any means, been
iproved, and doubtless never will Starch is
composed of Carbon II; Hydrogen 10; Ok
Iygen 10. If9 equivalents of oxygen be lost
lby the starch, fat will be the result of this
loss, for the composition of tat is Carbon II;
Hydrogen 10; Oxygen l. From this we can
easily perceive, that should the supply of OK
Iygen be insufficient, an accumulation of fat
is the consequence. Should the body be de-
lprived Of nourishment for any length Of time,
the oxygen of the air, net having a supply OF
food to act upon, attacks the body, the fat
at first supplying the carbon necessary for
that purpose, and for a time protecting the
vital organs against this energetic element.
The production of nervous matter may be
accounted for By supposing that a compound
containing nitrogen yields this element to
those of fat. Now the composition of those
nitrogised remedies which we procure in such
minute quantities from some species ofplants
1 (Morphia, etrychnine, eseonotive, etc. are
very closely allied to the composition of nery-
Gus matter; and this may account for the very
energetic effect they exert upon the nervou:
system, altering the composition Of the nerves
or modifying it, so as to produce those tire
mendous effects which result from their ad
ministration. tits likewise probable, as Lieb
ig suggests, that those vegetable products
y Cotelne, Iheobromine, &c, may exert an en-