The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-07-11

same ume paeesog from the ori6ce thu
made in the stomach. This ori6ce has neye
healed. and through II he process Of di
gestion can b plainly seen in the stomach
Curioualy enough, [and this circumstance
exhibits the efforts Of nature to repair an,
injury done 10 whatever portion Of its do
marn) BY the adhesion Of the sides Of The
protruded portion of the stomach to thu
pleura ~costalis and the edges Of the externs
wound, a free exit was Afforded to the con,
tents OF that organ, and efusion into tn,
abdominal cavity wss thus prevented, an,
the mans lire saved. Probably not on,
man in a million, il wounded in q simila
manner, would recover at all; while the
chances against just such a direction ant
result of another accidental or inten tiona
shot would be 90 enormous as to defy com
putation, and almost to surpass belief.
Mr.. Martin is now in Chicago and q few
days since his singular case was submitted
to the medical men Of that city. The editor
! OF the Democrat who was present and from
whose paper we obtain this information,
gives the following extraordinary physiolo-
gical facts in connection with this remark.
able case:
aSt. Martin 10 of the medium height,
dark complexion, has . peculiar, glittering
grey eye, and is remarkable for the why
touchness OF his constitution. Since be
~as wounded he has married. and become
the father OF seventeen children, 1--WE Of
whom, with his vile, are now living. He
is poor, having beer obliged some short
time since TO part with his farm to paw
some debts which he had contracted.
II will be recollected that some time after
81, Martin had received his extraordinary
wound, DR.. Beaumont, the urgeon who al.
tended him, published a volume made up OF
facts connected with the case, entitled,
..Dr. Beaumont's Physylsgy and Expert
menu.n This work embraced the observa.
lions and experiments on ST. NJ, and may
be said TO be the foundation of nearly ali
the kno~ ledge now possessed BY the world
on the subject of digestion. In this book
Or. B. gives the particulars Of the treat.
,uent OF the case, and the singular recovery
OF the patient.
A, our College st. Martin was laid on
the table, and the band ges used to cover
the wound removed. And here VS. might
add that, at FIRST, the only way by which the
food, AFTER entering the stomach BY the
~esophaaus, could be prevented from passing
ont through the wound, was 10 use com
-pressiye and adhesive straps. This necss.
si,y has since been overcome by the growth
d, a small fold Of the coats OF the stomach,
that now extends almost entirely over the
~or.ice, but which can be readily depressed
It'll the 6nses, 90 As 10 allow an examina-
lion Of the interivr OF the stomach, (when it
10 empty, TO the depth OF i've or SIX inches.
Or. Bunting then inserted q thermometer
n the orfhce TO the depth OF some inches,
and the mercury rose to the height of 100
| degrees. He also took q glass tube, and
iaser,ine !. drew of into a phisl a small
| quantity of The gastric juice, which was
tes.ed py Dr.. Biaaey, and found ~ be
| strongly acid. It is cuioriess. emits bu, q
| slight, faint odor, and 10 said to be sweet IL
me taste. II is said, that ii a small qusnti-
Nv OF food be eaten, this gastric secrst,on i.
correspondingly small, andu the quantity y
food ia increased the secretion - also in,
creased. Il exudes from the cssis or lining
membranes OF the stomacl, as sweat from
the pores Of the skin. In post moram hi,
siagular agent is never found.
DR.. Bunting was asked eeyeral questions
aud gave answers TO q number, but as he j.
about publishing . work exhibiting his ex.
periments. he declined going into the case
N detail.
He stated that he had injected -four pun.
| ees oil rare broiled beef steak into the
| stomach through the ~oriice, and found tina
il was dieested, with the exception OF som,
floating ibres, in fifteen minutes.
The same quantity Of bread injected wa
all digested in two hours.
st. Martin swallowed a quantity Of waite
in our presence, and BY simply leaning owe
while standing, emptied nearly all of It int
a basin. II appeared to have undergone N
change.
The Doctor says that he has found gel
aiine and the white of an egg raw, undl
gested, four hours after being injected.
When the stomach is empty, it has a mo
ton from side TO side, similar TO that of
hungry wild beast in q cage. When filled
il Immediately changes this motion to a cir
cuiar and spiral one.
When the stomach is empty it has Pre-
truded from the orihce to the extent of tn
size OF the closed hand. When full, o
the contrary, it returns to IFS normal pos
ton.
The Doctor has known food to renal
forty.eight hours after alcohol has bee
taken TO excess, undigested. A small quar-
,ity Of alcohol taken previous TO meals re
tsrds, but taken after meals rather help
digestion. A small quantity of Londo
porter taken at dinner materially aids dige.
ton. Alcohol taken in large quantities.
and for some days, causes Inflammation
the coats Of the stomach, which appears i
white patches like alterations. With thes
symptoms the pulse may be regular, the az
petite good, the sleep u%nimpeded. Tn
Doctor thinks alcohol acts rather throur
It's antisep iic quality In producing indigo,
ton, than through its effects as a local i
ritant. The stomach does not appear
recover its natural tone for ihirty-six houl
after excess in the use of stimulants. B
the by, black pepper, mustard, and cond
ments Of all kinds, opium and coarse foo
appear to have the same irritating effects
alcohol.
Anger has the effect to cause the bile
rush into the stomach in a stream. Tn
has been observed with certainty in tn
case of ST. Martin. When he has been SUI
denly enrsged, while lying upon a tabl.
the bile has been seen 10 rush into th
stomach, which was perfectly clear of
the instant before, end in such quantit, d
TO admit Of its being ernptied ont freely in
to . cup by simply turning him over.
Or. Beaumont, in lis work, gives tn
time of digestion Of different descriptions G
food, from which il appears that the mea
Of an old hen is more readily assimiiate
than that OF a chicken, and thar the sam
il true regarding beet; that meat or gam
on the verge OF putrefaction 10 less easilI
digested than that which is fresh.
Cooked (melted or drawn butter, an,
the lard used in shortening" pie crust, i
not oigested at all. II il seen swimmin,
upon the surface of the contents OF tn
~slomach..in the form Of yellow or light col
ored grease, and it finally posses OF und
gested. The skins of all fruits, and espe
cially r~aisins, never digest; neither do ih
stones or "pits" Of plums, cherries, &C.
The "yanilla" seasoning OF ice cream
found to act as an irritating substance upo
the stomach, aud TO hinder digestion. !
both these respects, also, the c~oloring mat
ter Of candies 10 seen to tie still worse.
The interior OF the stomach lie q pin
color, and the wound 10 the case of MART
had not, as might be supposed, Q very di'
agreeable look"