Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-08-14

The 'eteresting subject for study was in
Hartford on Saturday and Sunday last, and
we had the opportunity of seeing him. He
is under the care of DR.. John Bunting for
merly surgeon in the British army, and who
proposes to exhibit this living wonder to the
medical men of some of our large cities, pre-
vious to journey with him to Europe
While here, St. Martin and the Doctor were
guests of Col. Colt, at whose invitation they
were induced to stop, while on their way to
Boston, for the purpose of allowing to the
Hartford Medical Society an opportunity of
noting the progressions and the effects of
digestion, the absorption of different kinds
of food, &c.
Some of the facts thus obtained are new
and interesting, others seem to confirm pre-
vious theories of the physicians
1t was found that brandy taken upon an
empty stomach, (half an hour before dinner,
has the effect to temporarily paralyze the
digestive powers and to retard very effectu-
ally the progress of digestion for four hours.
Moreover, its influence upon the stomach,
under the circumstances, is such as to pre-
vent that organ from recovering its natural
and healthy tone for thirty six hours after
the brandy had been swallowed when, at
the expiration of that time, its restoration to
a healthy tone is indicated by the appearance
of red patches on the internal coats of the
stomach, from which minute drops of blood
are seen to exude. (This is the result no.
ted after debauch.) Curiously enough, ap-
pettc is not in the least impaired, although
the functions of digestion are greatly impe-
ded. The immediate effect of the brandy is
to induce upon the coats of the stomach a
condition either of inflammation or digestion
the physicians were unable to agree, from
the appearances, which of the two conditions
reary existed in this case. If, however the
brandy be taken with the dinner or after it,
the food prevents its direct contact with the
coats o! the stomach and the result then is
to facilitate the process of digestion as has
been frequently proved by observations,
which show that food under these circum-
stances, digests considerable quicker than it
does without this stimulus. This, however,
does not prove that brandy is beneficial, as a
regular concomitant of the dinncr-table. 1t
may we'll be questioned, if it Is the part of
wisdom to make such regular and unceasng
application of the whip and spur to a horse
that is disposed to do his best without this
sharp stimulus; though there may be cases
of weak stomachs where the very moderate
use of pure brandy might prove advantage
Gus. But the physicians who have watched
the process going on in st. Martins stom-
ach, do not propose to deal in theories they
are after bold, literal facts
-iuutla. Interesting discovery Las been
made by observations of this mans stunach.
In looking into the aperture left by the shot
from the gun, the secretion of the gastric
juice has been distinctly seen. The theory
of the existence of this curious digestive a.
gent has been held by the faculty, and was
so strongly sustained by reason and circum-
stantial evidence, that it was regarded less
as a theory than as an ascertained fact. 1t
was not, however, until the case Of St. Mar
tins occurred, that the doctors were enabled
to know, from the positive evidence of their
senses, that the so-called "gastric juice" was
precisely what it was supposed to be. 1t
was never before actually seen, as it is never
produced except as food, taken into the
stomach, requires its presence to perform
the work of digestion and then it is produ-
ced in exactly the quantity requisite for the
work to be done. Thus, ifa small amount
of food is eaten the juice is less. 1t ern'les
from the coats of the stomach, as sweat from
the surface of the body, and is of a lmpid
clcarncss, like water. 1t could be seen trick
ling down the inner coating Of the stomach,
and has, it is said, n slightly sweetish taste.
/ In past morfcm examinations, this singular
agent is never found and it was, We are in
formed, never seen before this hole in the
living mans stomach exposed it to the GU
rious eye of the investigator.
Another fact that We noted while watching
the case OF St. Martin, may prove to be OF
some benefit to invalds, if not to persons in
robust health. The time required to digest
different kinds of food varies with the char
acter of the food; and some articles hitherto
supposed to be particularly easy of digestion,
arc not found to be SO with the experiments
made with this case. Thus, the flesh of an
oM hen is more readily assimilated and more
quickly disposed of than that of a tender
chicken land the same thing is true in re-
gard to beef. The meat of full grown OK
or COW digests easier than veal.
Hundreds Of people have an idea that
game and meat that have been kept until it
almost reached the verge of putrefaction, is
more easily digested than fresh game or fresh
beef This belief has led TO the cultivation
of the taste that likes, or processes to like,
what is called the game faror in woodcock,
venson, &c. But it is seen, in this case,
that tainted meats or game require longer
time for digestion than fresh meats. By a
cpriour process in the stomach, the tainted
meat is seen to undergo a very effective
cleansing, before the work of digestion be-
gins. 1t is rolled over and over, and passed
and repassed from one portion of the stom-
ach to the other, the subtle agencie Of that
interior laboratory all the while acting upon
it and eliminating, particle by particle, the
offensive portions, until all is clean and
ready for the proper work of digestion to
commence